I have read many books on Tudor history and yet realized that I knew little about the actual reign of Edward VI. Overshadowed, indeed.

Stephanie Kline has done well casting light onto the life and reign of the only legitimate son of Henry VIII. A must-read for Tudor history buffs.

*I received an advanced reader copy of this book from Net Galley. Opinions expressed in this review are completely my own.

Edward VI: Henry VIII's Overshadowed Son by Stephanie Kline is about the--if not totally forgotten, then often overlooked--most desired son of Henry the VIII. The book takes us from just before his birth to the reigns that continued after his death in order to see what impacts, if any, he held in shaping the country after his brief rule of just six years.

To focus on Edward has to be a tall order; he didn't rule for very long, he didn't put a great many people to the sword (or the fire, as it were, with his eldest half-sister), he didn't have romances, and he was fervently religious. None of this adds up to compelling reading, or a heavy mark in history, and yet the author did a great job in keeping interest in the story of Edward's life.

Edward, so often set aside as a sickly boy who was pushed around by outside machinations into doing the bidding of the council behind him, is instead shown to be a youth who enjoyed many of the robust physical activities his father loved, and also had a wilful mind of his own when it came to religion, which was really the whole drive behind his rule, short though it was. While he wasn't out writing Articles and drafting up Bibles of his own, such works had his full blessing, and he would have put his foot down if they did not, as viewed by him refusing to sign papers to give more power to an uncle after gifts and money.

The book is slim, but what else can be expected? Certainly, there are many books written about Mary, who had a shorter reign than he, but then he sadly died but a few short months before he was allowed to seize the throne entirely. His rule was always thus restrained, and so it is a marvel to have been able to eke out the amount that formed this volume. There are larger-than-life figures such as his uncles and the Duke of Northumberland crowded in the space, sometimes overshadowing the already overshadowed boy, but it lends important context to the state of the throne and the tussling behind it that both added to and exacerbated problems already existing in the kingdom during Edward's reign.

All in all, I would recommend it to allow Edward to elbow aside his more famous siblings and father and grasp at the spotlight that has so eluded him, if only for an afternoon's read.

I received a copy of this book via NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.

Stephanie Kline, in this excellent work about Henry VIII's son Edward VI, also includes the story of two other monarchs not often written about - Lady Jane Grey and Bloody Mary. These monarchs, especially Edward and Mary, wreaked religious havoc on their subjects in trying to impose their strongly held religious views. It must have been a very difficult 10 or so years for their subjects as the needle swung between the newly imposed Church of England rules and those of Catholicism. Kneeling was out, then in again. Prayer books changed. Latin was abandoned. Ministerial robes were made plainer. High profile supporters of one monarch rarely found themselves with any position at all with the next and many were beheaded or sent to the Tower of London. All in all these were turbulent times and reading about them is fascinating. They make today's political and royal infighting seem positively trivial.
That being said we have to remember Edward VI came to the throne aged 9 and didn't make it to his 16th birthday, so his genuine wish to turn the country away from High Church was not to blame for the religious mayhem that Mary subsequently caused, trying to turn back the clock, with her hundreds of beheadings and burnings at the stake.
This carefully researched book shines a deserving light on this period and I, for one, congratulate Kline on exposing the intrigue and manipulation that permeated politics and Royalty at this time.

The Tudor era is my favourite historical period and I’ve studied many courses and books on the subject. As the title suggests, Edward is often overshadowed by his father and siblings so this is the first time I’ve read a book solely devoted to the young King. I was pleased to find the impression that Edward was weak and a puppet King was false. I love that he refused to make Thomas Seymour Governor of the Kings Person, despite being bribed with pocket money!
This is a well written and very thoroughly researched account of an often overlooked King.
Thank you very much to Netgalley, Stephanie Kline and Pen & Sword for this ARC.

The sickly boy king who didn't reign very long and was overshadowed by his family of Tudor monarchs. This was my impression of Edward VI; my actual knowledge of him was scant. So I was interested to discover this scholarly account of his life and reign, based on a huge amount of research, if the bibliography is anything to go by.
Suddenly Edward came alive for me - the longed-for male heir who was healthy, bright, sporty and well educated. Who was very like his father both physically and intellectually, intended to be King right from the moment of his birth and nurtured accordingly. Stephanie Kline brings us an Edward who is feisty, who, although young, is capable of making his own decisions and intelligent enough to make them well. It was only in the final few months, suffering from what was probably TB, that Edward became the ill teenager he is sadly remembered as.

Although the book is not fiction, it is well written enough to be engaging and to immerse the reader into the life of Edward and his Tudor court, his advisors and his policies. And throughout the book runs the thread of the Reformation, and of the huge influence the reign of Edward had upon both Protestantism in general and upon the Church of England itself - how today's Church was shaped and formed by decisions Edward himself made, guided by Archbishop Cranmer and other leading reformers . Far from being pushed around by the Lord Protector, Edward helped pave the way for Elizabeth I's reign to become one of peace and prosperity. There were huge religious as well as political upheavals during his reign, and this book sets out to show the importance of these for England, and to overthrow the 'bleak and inaccurate portrayals of this life that have persisted for so long.'

The final pages contrast his reign with those of his cousin, Lady Jane Queen, who unwillingly and resignedly reigned for just 9 days, and of his half-sister Mary, who is better remembered yet had a shorter reign than did Edward. And whose efforts to overturn Edward's reforming activities and laws signally failed to have long-term impact.

There were a couple of inaccuracies that I noticed. For instance, the book seems to suggest that Edward was buried and has a small memorial in, the chapel of Christ's Hospital which was founded during his reign. In fact, the small memorial was only placed in Westminster Abbey in recent years; before that, his burial place alongside that of his grandfather Henry VII, lay unmarked, until Christ's Hospital had a small memorial laid there in his memory.

However, this did not detract from the overall enjoyment - and may indeed have been corrected in the final edition, as I was reading an uncorrected copy for which I thank Netgalley and the publishers.

Overall, a fascinating, well-written and well-researched biography of Edward VI, the last Tudor King.

I want to thank Netgalley and Pen & Sword for the uncorrected proof of this book.

As a lover of Tudor history, I have to admit that I fall into the category of why Kline wanted to write this book. I have read extensively about the six Queen consorts of the period and the two regnant Queens, but I have paid very little attention to Edward. Part of this lack of interest in his reign comes from the belief apparently held by many historians that he did not have as active a role in his reign because of his youth. Kline's thesis is that this is a misconception and I think any lover of Tudor history should read this book.

I loved that Kline centred Edward as much as she could in this book. Often in a period where sources are dictated by the men in power, it seems difficult for minors and children to be fully represented in the historical record. Although there is often a discussion in books on Mary I about the contrast between her and her brother's religious beliefs agency in those beliefs is often only granted to Mary. The thread that Kline was able to establish between Edward's upbringing as the only Tudor monarch to reign who was born to do so and the eventual outcomes of his religious reformation were thought-provoking and well-researched. I found myself many times throughout the book wondering about the psychology of this young boy who had to live in the shadow of the giant that was his father and how that shaped the teenager he became.

I also really enjoyed the timeline that Kline used to tell Edward's story. As in most biographies, it follows a chronological path, but the way that facts were laid out I started thinking about several things within this time period that I had never considered before, in part because the fact that Edward was the son Henry wanted, made me believe that his story was more straight forward than his sisters.

While I did like that there was a discussion of the men surrounding Edward, particularly Somerset and Northumberland, I did feel that there were points in the book when Edward got a bit lost. Kline did do a nice job of discussing the turmoil of the time and also adding in Edward's own journal entries to keep him as part of the narrative.

This was a well-written and researched book. Any lover of Tudor history and history more generally is likely to enjoy Kline's argument for Edward VI the reformer King.

An excellent biography about one of the more over-looked Tudor monarchs - Edward VI.

Kline states, and then backs her thesis up with excellent arguments, that Edward VI was not the doomed-to-die sickly boy-king-puppet who did nothing himself, but rather, up until his final months, a healthy and vigorous teenager approaching young manhood who worked extremally hard to grab the reins of government as soon and as often as he could, making real, solid changes himself to the government and religion of England.

We also see the deadly soap opera of those circling around him, smiling with knives behind their backs, as they all fight to ingratiate themselves to the king, even if it means stepping over each others bodies. 'Succession' has nothing on the drama of the Seymours and Dudleys!

This was a huge surprise to me. I had not known of Edward VI and even though this was a Historical Book the players and movers in the story were fascinating. The political oneupmanship was fascinating and interesting to see that a young King at that time was a precious commodity but also there to be used.
The changes made to Protestentism during his reign were also so interesting and the interwoven stories and characters were amazingly written. I was gripped.

‘Edward VI: Henry VIII’s Overshadowed Son’ is an extremely well written account of the life of one of the less well-known Tudor monarchs. The longed-for son of Henry VIII, who became King at 9 years of age, Edward has largely been remembered for dying young and his attempt to change the succession from his half-sister, Princess Mary to Lady Jane Grey.

Stephanie Kline’s book goes a very long way to restoring Edward to the spotlight and taking his rightful place in the history of this famous dynasty. Although with any biography of Edward, the Dukes of Somerset and Northumberland loom large, Edward does not disappear into the background, with Kline showing his role in events and decisions, especially in the last 18 months of his life. By covering the effects of Edward’s religious policies in the reigns of Mary I and Elizabeth I, his legacy is clear to see.

I want to thank Netgalley and the author for gifting me the ebook. This was a very interesting novel. I have not really read many novels that was just about Henry VIII's son. This was a very good read for all Tudor fans out there. Highly recommend. The author did a great job with research and writing the novel.

I received this advance reader copy via Netgalley and the publisher, in return for an honest review. As an avid Tudor history buff, I’m delighted to see a book focusing on Edward VI, the only son of Henry VIII and Jane Seymour. The author spent 10 years researching for this book. While documenting the more well-known figures surrounding the young king, she tries, as much as available information allows, to show where he directly and indirectly steered the country. Most importantly, she details how Edward’s devout Protestantism set the groundwork for the Church of England’s future. The footnoting is extensive and appropriate. The author does, lapse into repetition of points, particularly in the areas of religious impact. The book begins with the rise of the Tudors, through Henry VIII, and continues with the reigns of Edward, Mary and Elizabeth I. The majority focus is on the years of Edward VI’s reign and includes the machinations of his two Seymour uncles and the Duke of Northumberland as the young king’s major advisors/guardians.

Thank you NetGalley, Pen & Sword, and Stephanie Kline for allowing me to read an advanced copy of Edward VI: Henry VIII's Overshadowed Son.

I have read a lot of books about Henry VIII, his six wives, his parents, and his daughters Mary and Elizabeth, but this is the first book I have read that was about his son Edward VI. It was nice to read a history devoted to him and not just a blurb about him in another person's story. He had an impact on the Protestant Reformation that was bigger than I had previously thought. This book was worth the read through.

The Tudors are perhaps the most famous of England’s royal families. A weak claim to the throne made Henry VII King and the excesses of his son Henry VIII are legendary. By 1537, Henry had proved that he could do whatever he wanted. His first wife Catherine had been divorced and exiled to the country, his second wife Anne beheaded and the Church of England replaced the Catholic religion. All because of what he wanted most - a son. When third wife Jane Seymour give birth to Edward, there was much celebration. And when Henry died nine years later, there was a dynastic struggle that continued during Edward’s six year reign. Henry’s will was quickly set aside and a Protector was named. The conflict that followed was dominated by warring brothers from the same family, unrest over links between Scotland and France and the continued development of the Church of England. This was the lasting legacy of Edward VI. The young King was a religious Protestant and greatly influenced by the Reformation. Under his rule Latin Mass was eliminated and the Book of Common Prayer was introduced. His religion led him to ignore his two sisters and name his cousin, Lady Jane Grey, as his successor. Unfortunately, this led to rebellion, the execution of Lady Jane and the cruelties of Queen Mary.

Edward VI: Henry VIII's Overshadowed Son is well researched and reads like fiction. Stephanie Kline shows that he was not a sickly child and weak boy King. With her words, we see him as educated and outgoing. This biography makes us wonder what he would have accomplished had he lived longer. 5 stars.

Thank you to NetGalley, Pen & Sword and Stephanie Kline for this ARC.

An in depth, thoroughly researched but not dull in any way look into the life of Edward VI and those in his brief life. I have read a few other books about Edward but this was chronicled in perfect timing from the beginning of his life until the end and after. What was the most important to me was that it was never dry - the author made it very interesting. I also appreciated the many pictures at the end. Highly recommended to all Tudor fans and those who just want to learn more about the history of the British monarch. Thank you to NetGalley, the author and publisher for an advanced e-arc in exchange for my honest opinion.