Weir once again brings the Tudor dynasty to life in this novel of Henry VIII. Tracking Henry’s life from the death of his mother, Queen Elizabeth of York, through his own death forty years, six wives, and three children later, Weir affords readers some insight into the motivations and machinations of this complex historical figure. Weir uses all of her powers of narration and storytelling to cover so much information and historical details in this immersive historical fiction novel. The world that Weir creates and draws inspiration from is as complex and detailed as in her other historical fiction novels, and she also relies on her years of historical research and writing in this long-awaited novel. Weir grants Henry VIII the level of complexity in character and thought that he merits, and her insight into his personality and character is particularly enjoyable, making the entire novel an engrossing and immersive read. Weir’s characters are incredibly well-written and detailed, and she brings other historical figures (who may not have featured in her previous novels) to the front of the page. Once again, Weir has written a fascinating, enjoyable, complex, and immersive historical novel for her many fans and other historical fiction and Tudor enthusiasts.

The most famous king next to Camelot’s Arthur is Henry VIII. We know what he was most famous for: breaking from the Catholic church and going through a number of wives by divorcing or beheading them. But do we really know him? Was he really only focused on bedding women and having a son or was there more to it than that? In this book, Alison Weir takes us into the life of Henry VIII in a way that we have ignored or assumed over the years to see what the might have have really been like.

Too often, I have just taken what was portrayed in a book or movie for Henry’s perspective. I never really thought of him as a person with complex feelings. Weir brings that to life for the reader. Starting when he is a young man just thinking that the throne could be his, the book shows the reader Henry’s doubts, confidence, hopes, dreams, frustrations, and plans. He didn’t start his reign thinking of having many lives and leaving the Catholic church. In fact, he thought quite the opposite. Like every other person on the planet and throughout history, he found that life doesn’t go the way one plans.

Through descriptive and emotional words, I found myself leaning a little more sympathetic to the man. Let me stress “little”, as I still think he was too self-centered and arrogant in who he should answer to. But the man didn’t exactly have grounded people to mentor him as so many were around him only for what they could get out of it. He was a man basically lost in a storm that he helped create but had no idea how to deal with.

I found this to be a thought-provoking read that gave me pause when it came to the man who changed so much of the Western world and would be the father to one of the greatest monarchs Britain ever knew. As I read, I wondered what he would have thought if he knew how history would see him. He thought he’d be seen as the greatest monarch ever and not the one that is more a butt of jokes. He had all his hopes in a son, but we know his youngest daughter would become a monarch of the ages. What if….

This was a great read that will have you wanting to know more about the man you thought you knew. He becomes a stranger again that you’ll want to read up on and see what really happened all those years ago. A book to open history to us all and remove the cobwebs that time allows to grow.

To be honest what was written here we've all read before. Nothing new, just a re-telling about selfish, egotistical Henry VIII. Personally, I'd rather read about the women of those times, but then I wouldn't have had that observation if I hadn't requested this book! I have read other novels by Ms. Weir...this is the first time I'm disappointed. Thanks to NetGalley and Ballantine Books for this ARC in exchange for an honest review.

As with all of Weir's work this was an enjoyable historical fiction based largely in history. Quality addition to her catalogue of offerings.

I really enjoyed how Weir gave the King his own voice after having written from each Queen's point of view. I thought it was thought provoking and impactful. I really enjoyed not only the subject matter but her writing as well. She has such an ease and incredible gift of making long-dead figures come to life as if they are right in front of you and this book was no exception! Definitely recommend!!

Alison Weir is one of the queens of Tudor era historical fiction, and this new tome falls in with her excellent previous ones. This book provides insight into the rise and growth of the eventual Henry VIII, who grows up as just Harry, dealing with the pressure of becoming the Prince of Wales after his brother Arthur dies, and losing his bother as a young teenager. Any Tudor fans will appreciate this well crafted and detailed novel.

I found that The King's Pleasure is my favorite book I have read of King Henry VIII of England to date. Alison Weir does a fantastic job bringing this historical figure to life. Five stars.

I always get excited when I hear that any of a handful of historical fiction writers will be releasing a new book. Alison Weir is among these talented authors. The King’s Pleasure is the second book in her “Tudor Rose” trilogy, and I was not disappointed. This book focuses on King Henry VIII from his childhood and the death of his beloved mother through his transformation into a jealous, irrational ruler with multiple ill-fated wives.
Telling the story of this infamous monarch was a tremendous undertaking, but Weir was clearly up to the task! As always, she did a masterful job weaving historical facts with fictionalized dialogue and details that helped me immerse myself fully into the tale.
At nearly 600 pages, the story is long, but Weir’s knack for painting detailed pictures with her words makes it well worth the read! I would recommend this well-researched book to historical fiction fans and anyone interested in the Tudor era. Many thanks to NetGalley and the publisher for the chance to read a complimentary copy. The opinions expressed are entirely my own.

I enjoyed learning of King Henry and his legacy. Rich in historical detail, this story brought Henry to life and I appreciate the meticulous research that was done.
Many thanks to Random House and to Netgalley for providing me with a galley in exchange for my honest opinion.

Alison Weir does a phenomenal job bringing history to life in this book and showing a more human side to Henry VIII. She writes with a high level of authenticity, and everything seems to be very well researched.

The King's Pleasure is told from Henry's POV, and that was a nice change from other books of the era that I've read.

Overall, this was a great read and a nice addition to the other Tudor era novels written by Alison Weir.

I received a complimentary copy of this book. Opinions expressed in this review are my own.

I really enjoyed this book! I've read alotnof books about Henry VIII,but they generally focus more on his wives and their pov,so it was interesting going at it from his view.
It was well written,I could feel Henry in this novel. Will definitely read again.

I would expect nothing less from Alison Weir. A great job at historical fiction, revealing the humanity behind figures of history. Well-written and historically based the story is engaging and gives a different look at the life of Henry the 8th.

Henry VIII is one of the most well-known figures in European history. So many books have been written about him, covering practically every aspect one can think of to study regarding his life. Yet, there always seems to be a new book giving a fresh perspective of the man. Such is the case with Alison Weir's "The King's Pleasure: A Novel of Henry VIII".

Weir manages to make Henry more personable, showing him reflecting a range of emotions that can make one's head spin. But that is what makes it all the more engaging to read. There are moments you can feel sympathy for Henry, but a good portion of the time, one wonders how he was able to be king when he was such an emotional tyrant. He certainly was intelligent, but there was an air of selfishness about him that never disappears, and it impacted all his relationships.

What is probably the greatest irony: he ripped his kingdom out of the Catholic realm because he was so desperate for a male heir, yet that male heir only ruled for a mere 6 years while the daughters he bastardized both sat on the throne, making history by being the first and second women to rule England outright; moreover, the concubine (Anne Boleyn) got the last laugh because it was her daughter, the great Elizabeth I, who ruled the longest out of all the Tudor monarchs.

Reading about Henry VIII, as well as the other Tudors, never gets old for me. They truly are fascinating. I hope this book is not the end of Weir's fictionalized accounts of the Tudors. I would relish a book on each of Henry VIII's children, seeing things through their eyes. It would certainly be entertaining Reading.

Thanks to NetGalley, Random House Publishing, and Alison Weir for this advanced copy, which I voluntarily read and reviewed.

Thank you to the publishers for making this book available to me. Unfortunately I was not able to finish reading the book due to time constraints and other issues. I've read several other books by Allison Weir, especially most of the Wives of King Arther series and enjoyed them very much. I will give the book 5 stars based on the style, technique and historical accuracy of the small part of the book I was able to read as well her other books. I intend to get this book at a later time from library.

As always, an excellent novel written by the author. Even though I knew quite a lot about Henry VIII (I read all novels and most non fiction by the author), I greedily read and enjoyed this novel! As always, the historical background has been meticulously researched, making Alison Weir not only a great novelist but a great historian as well.

Thanks to Ballentine Books and NetGalley for an advanced copy of The King's Pleasure in exchange for an honest review. All opinions are my own.

History is cyclical. For a while, we only heard about the important men that ruled countries. Then, there was a spurt of interest in the women that lived and loved them. Alison Weir has made a career of writing about the wives of Henry VIII, and now she tells Henry's story from his perspective, from his childhood through his death.

As someone who has a read a lot of Weir's previous books on the wives of Henry VIII, I was excited to have the opportunity to read a book by her from Henry's perspective. There was no new information in this book for me, but I still enjoyed reading it and looking at the history through his eyes. Of course, even though the book is about Henry, I loved how Weir portrayed the wives.

If you enjoy Tudor historical fiction (and who among us didn't go through a wives of Henry VIII phase?), you'll want to put this one on your TBR immediately.

I loved each of the books in The Six Queens series by Alison Weir, and I was very excited to read The King's Pleasure to get the story from his perspective. Unfortunately, I didn't love it 😔

The King's Pleasure follows Henry VIII through his entire life. It covers the time from before he became king and during each of his marriages. I'm not sure if it was because of the familiarity of the story or that I have read a lot of novels featuring Henry VIII, but I couldn't get into this book. It felt long to me and didn't introduce anything that I hadn't read about him before.

I was interested in reading the author's interpretation of what Henry VIII would be thinking in the situations. I love Weir's writing, obvious research, and wealth of knowledge on the Tudors. She is creative while showing respect to the context and historical figures.

I've been fascinated and borderline obsessed with Tudor history for years. I've read a lot of books on the subject and quite a few of those were written by Alison Weir, so I was thrilled for the opportunity to read her newest novel. It sounded very intriguing to read about the reign of Henry VIII from his perspective. I did enjoy this book overall, but not as much as I expected.

This didn't feel like a historical fiction novel. It was like reading Henry's personal journal. The same effect as if someone writes a Tudor book report where you're getting historical events in their own words. No plot points that build up to a climax. To be fair, I know what happens so that could definitely account for the lack of excitement or suspense. It's also a very long read, which is necessary considering how much occurred in his reign, but it started to drag after a while.

I enjoyed a lot of Henry's observations, especially early on. It's almost sad to see Henry go from a young, exuberant king to a full-blown tyrannical monster. This book gives the reader the opportunity to experience that change in a more detailed and personal manner. There's definitely a lot to appreciate about this book, though I think someone who hasn't read a ton of Tudor history would likely enjoy it more.

Thank you to Alison Weir, Ballantine Books and NetGalley for providing this advanced reader copy in exchange for my honest review.

This book really just took me for a ride. I loved the build up, the character development, and the writing. I would definitely read more from this author!

I tell everyone that I m a huge Weir fan. But I think I need to finally admit I am not as strong a fan of her historical fiction. My opinion is historical fiction is so easy for her to write because she has already done all of the research for her brilliant nonfiction works that she writes these puff pieces to capture a different audience. And I’ve definitely recommended these novels to those who need an introduction to the past, but I just don’t enjoy the historical fiction because of the type of storytelling that occurs. Nothing at all against Weir personally. She’s an amazing author and historian and I will continue to purchase her books.