Note: I was given early access to this novel in exchange for writing an impartial review. Thank you NetGalley and Random House. Scheduled publication date: May 30, 2023.

This novel covers the life of the ever-notorious English King, Henry VIII by the well-respected historian, Alison Weir. It reminded me a bit of author Margaret George’s 1986 book, THE AUTOBIOGRAPHY OF HENRY VIII. They’re both long, they both look at unfolding events from Henry’s perspective, and both try to offer some insights into the man behind the reputation. I gave it four stars but 3.5 might be more precise.

One of the reasons historical fiction is my favorite genre is because I’m interested in an author’s depiction of an actual historical person as a fully fleshed out human being, with speculation about why each behaved as they did — how their individual humanity ultimately impacted historical events. What were they thinking? What motivated them? How might they have been damaged by life circumstances? In my opinion, Weir did this very successfully in her six-novel series about Henry’s wives. Unfortunately, I didn’t find anything new or particularly interesting about Weir’s exploration of Henry’s psyche. And I don't feel that I know or understand him any better. Instead, I felt I was reading an episodic survey recounting his life and reign, with all documented events included. And I particularly didn’t believe the way in which Weir seemed to give a big pass to Henry around the fall of Anne Boleyn.

Overall, the novel felt like more of a blend of historical fiction and traditional biography. Lots of detail about politics, rival court factions, and building projects that did not seem to add to a better understanding of the man. Almost as though Weir (wearing her historian's hat) felt she had to include everything about Henry that had been historically documented.

I also found some of the integration of historical documentation on the clumsy side. For example, Weir includes a few direct quotes from Henry taken from historical records. Only to me they felt stuck in because the language Henry actually used back in the 1500s (reflected in the direct quote) was nothing like the voice Weir gave him throughout the rest of the book.

My understanding is that Weir began writing non-fiction long before becoming interested in historical fiction. So, maybe that makes it harder to let go of some of the facts and history she knows so intimately and focus more on the psychology and character of the King. And, as she explains in the Afterword, after writing novels each of Henry’s wives, she felt obligated to create one about Henry himself. Of course, the thing about diehard Tudor fans like me is that we NEVER get tired of reading about Henry and trying to understand him. Which is probably why so many historical fiction authors keep writing books about him. An audience will always be waiting to read them. Flaws and all.

I’ve always been fascinated by all things King Henry VIII and I’ve read quite a bit about him, including Weir’s “The Six Wives of Henry VIII” and Margaret George’s “The Autobiography of Henry VIII.” Although I finished those years ago, I don’t believe that THE KING’S PLEASURE differed too much - or added much to the (totally bizarre) story of England’s most notorious king.

I did enjoy hearing the events from Henry’s point of view: he’s recounting his life’s choices and regrets on his deathbed, which does a lot to humanize him. The book begins when he’s a little boy, devastated by the loss of his mother and moves through time. It details his infatuation, and later, boredom, with each of his six wives, as well as the political goings-on during this lifespan. Therefore, THE KING’S PLEASURE is a bit of a chonker, and I had a difficult time focusing to getting through some of the less interesting phases of Henry’s life.

That said, this book is obviously extensively researched and impeccably written. The descriptions of clothes, food, pageantry, etc. drop you right into the Tudor world. This book will appeal to historians and those curious about Henry VIII, particularly if they haven’t read other similar books.

A sincere thank you to NetGalley and Ballantine Books for an eARC of THE KING’S PLEAURE and the opportunity to give my honest feedback and opinion.

This review has been published on Goodreads and will be published on my Bookstagram, @watchskyeread, on publication day (May 30).

On his deathbed, Henry VIII reflects on his life, how he will be remembered, and his good and evil deeds. Alison Weir is a historian so her books are well researched whether fiction or nonfiction, and after writing about his six wives, Weir is finally giving Fat Harry his day in court. This is not just a biography but also a history of the events that shaped Henry's reign. Even people who don't like history tend to be fascinated by the Tudors and Henry VIII in particular, and they don't realize that the only thing Henry is remembered for is being married six times and murdering two of his wives. Otherwise, he was a rather mediocre king, squandering the massive treasury left to him by his father on futile wars and entertainments, and enjoying himself with his friends rather that attending to matters of state. Obsessed with fathering sons, convinced that a woman couldn't be an effective ruler even though his advisers and fellow monarchs told him there was no reason that Mary couldn't be his heir and a successful queen (and even though the three longest reigning and most successful English monarchs WERE queens), Henry focused on the wrong things. Although I usually love the author's books, I was a little disappointed in this one. Weir deals rather gently with Henry and is sympathetic to him, compared with other biographers. She downplays the fact that due to his suspicious nature, Henry eventually executed almost all of his friends and relatives. He was also rather gullible and a notoriously bad judge of character - his motto should have been "it's not my fault." Many thanks to NetGalley and the publisher for providing an eARC for review.

I really enjoyed this book. I hope the author continues to write more books in the future. I can't wait to see what this author releases in the future.

A little dry, although Alison Weir offers a few new tidbits about Henry Tudor. Watching a magnificent man tumbling into dissolution has always fascinated me about Henry , and seeing things from his point of view rather than that of his women was interesting. I had to force my way through some of the longer bits, but readers new to the Tudor saga will find much to hold their interest.

A well-written tale that offers another historical fiction of King Henry VIII. I enjoyed this version of events, always a difficult task for writers who are attempting to write thoughts and feelings into historical characters long dead. Ms. Weir leads readers through Henry’s early years, through his marriage to Katherine, then Anne Boleyn, and four other marriages, and tackles some of the political turmoil of his reign.
The author builds a believable case for how Henry became the man who could dispose of so many wives, and the possible fears and ambition that drove him to war with the Pope and the Catholic Church, and his thirst for conquering France.
I’ve read other novels about this King and his wives, and found this one well researched and with nuances to his personality that added to the story. Entertaining and a delightful immersion into a world that doesn’t exist anymore.

The King's Pleasure
by Alison Weir
Pub Date: 30 May 2023

Having completed her Six Tudor Queens series of novels on the wives of Henry VIII, extensively researched and written from each queen's point of view, Alison Weir now gives Henry himself a voice, telling the story of his remarkable thirty-six-year reign and his six marriages.

Young Henry began his rule as a magnificent and chivalrous Renaissance prince who embodied every virtue. He had all the qualities to make a triumph of his kingship, yet we remember only the violence. Henry famously broke with the pope, founding the Church of England and launching a religious revolution that divided his kingdom. He beheaded two of his wives and cast aside two others. He died a suspicious, obese, disease-riddled tyrant, old before his time. His reign is remembered as one of dangerous intrigue and bloodshed—and yet the truth is far more complex.

The King's Pleasure brings to life the idealistic monarch who expanded Parliament, founded the Royal Navy, modernized medical training, composed music and poetry, and patronized the arts. A passionate man in search of true love, he was stymied by the imperative to produce a male heir, as much a victim of circumstance as his unhappy wives. Had fate been kinder to him, the history of England would have been very different.

Here is the story of the private man. To his contemporaries, he was a great king, a legend in his own lifetime. And he left an extraordinary legacy—a modern Britain.

Another fabulous book by by Alison Weir

#TheKingsPleasure

Is it wrong to call my experience reading this book a complete pleasure? If so, I am guilty. Hopefully, not of treason. As a fan of Alison Weir’s books, I was very excited to receive an early NetGalley copy of The King’s Pleasure. Alison Weir is one of the most notable and respected early modern British period historical historians. This is the first time Weir has written a book of fiction from the point of view of Henry the VIII. The other books I’ve read from her so far have been about the women of the period. If you’ve been wondering what was going on in Henry’s mind during his lifetime, then this is the right book for you. How did he feel when his friends and wives betrayed him? Did he really believe that Anne Boleyn was guilty on all charges? Was he quick to execute? There were a few important events in Henry’s life that were left out that I wish were in there but I understand the author had to make choices to keep the book concise. In this book, Henry is portrayed as a dynamic and nuanced ruler who didn’t expect to wear the crown himself. He saw himself as anointed by God. He also largely saw himself as a victim. For Tudor buffs and novices alike, I believe you will find this book worth reading. This ARC was given to me by NetGalley in exchange for an honest review. 4/5 stars.

He was a ginger-haired second son, the athletic, charismatic “spare” to his overly serious elder brother. Henry VIII, nicknamed Harry in his youth, wasn’t born to be king, but he has come down in history as a larger-than-life monarch, known for his marriages and role in the English Reformation. In her newest biographical novel, royal expert Weir explores the viewpoint of this towering figure, beginning with the passing of his beloved mother, the subject of her previous book, The Last White Rose (2022). Henry inherits a wealthy kingdom and indulges in tourneys, feasts, and luxurious clothing, which Weir evokes in detailed scenes of jaw-dropping extravagance. In well-paced fashion, readers view his transformation from fun-loving Renaissance man consumed with his glorious image to an aging, tyrannical king desperate to ensure the succession. Weir meticulously illustrates his significant relationships with not just his six wives but also his political allies and rivals and such shrewd advisers as Wolsey and Cromwell. Readers of her Six Tudor Queens series won’t find unexpected revelations here, but this believable tale is a solid choice for historical fiction devotees.
(Reviewed for Booklist, 4/15/23 issue)

Thank you to Goodreads for a copy of this book for my review.
There is one author Alison Weir who has a total knowledge of the Tudor family. I think she met king Henry VIII in another life. Her writing gives you such a descriptive view of not only the characters but the actual history of the period in the 1500s.

This book gives the story of Henry the VIII's life from beginning to end.. It takes you thru the periods of each of his many wives. The struggles with religion and how he became head of the English church. The struggle of producing an heir to the throne. The struggles with his group of advisors and how some of them struggled with gaining power or changing religions.

I totally enjoyed this book but I have a love of history. There are so many characters in the story and you may get lost but take notes if it helps you. If you want to read about Henry VIII and how he went thru so many wives from his point of view this is the book to read. There are many books dealing with each wife so it a nice change of pace.

It took me a little while to get into this because I am so used to reading the Tudor's from a Queen's perspective. It was great to see the struggle of young Henry before he became Henry the 8th and the power plays his dad made between him being King. Seeing the more personal touch that is known and well written but sometimes never mentioned learning wise really does help a lot. It is well written as each wife progressed/ mistress plus the internal struggle of Catholic versus protestant. This book should be on anyone's TBR list if they are interested in the Tudor times. If one isn't a addicted reader to the tudor times or Alison Weir I highly reccommend this book to start its a really fresh perspective and help brings in his whole life span ups downs regrets and all. Hes more than just the guy with six wives.

This ARC was given to me by netgalley in exchange for an honest review.

Alison Weir's The Six Wives of Henry VIII was the driving factor in my subsequent obsession with the Tudor dynasty. I have read both fiction and non-fiction about this time since I picked up that book, many written by Weir. I liked The King's Pleasure. It was good. That is the reason I gave it 3 stars, it was good. It was not a book that I could not put down, it didn't approach things from a different angle, it was Henry VIII from his perspective, and it was good. If this was the first time I had read about him and his court, maybe it would have been 4 stars.

Overall, if you can't get enough of Henry's struggle for a male heir, this is a view of that from his side. As this is about royals, there is plenty of court intrigue and of course, the different religious factions trying to outmaneuver each other for the king's favor.

"What is extraordinary is that Henry was usually a very good husband. And he liked women – that's why he married so many of them! He was very tender to them, we know that he addressed them as "sweetheart." He was a good lover, he was very generous: the wives were given huge settlements of land and jewels – they were loaded with jewels. He was immensely considerate when they were pregnant. But, once he had fallen out of love... he just cut them off. He just withdrew. He abandoned them. They didn't even know he'd left them." - David Starkey on Henry VIII.

Though I've encountered many stories told from the perspective on Henry's doomed wives (divorced, beheaded, died, divorced, beheaded, survived) I've never seen one that attempts to both humanize and condemn the monarch the way Alison Weir does in The King's Pleasure. Weir paints a picture of a man who was desperate for love but incapable of escaping his own crippling fears of treachery.

If you're looking for a fair or balanced view of any of his wives I suggest you look elsewhere (perhaps to Weir's series told from their point of view, though I haven't read it yet) as this story is told from Henry's (or Harry's as he's called throughout the novel) point of view alone. Beginning in his youth you follow him through his passionate affairs, his hunger for glory, his many failed attempts at expanding his realm and finally his devastating collapse into obesity and poor health.

If you enjoy historical fiction you couldn't find a book more meticulously researched and engaging. It's a bit fast paced but it has to be in order to fit an entire life into under 600 pages. Overall, a wonderfully rich and compelling retelling of a story we all think we know. Though history tells us Henry was flawed (tremendously) he was also human and perhaps deserves the kinder eye of this particular retelling.

Highly recommended.

A big thank you to NetGalley and Random House for providing a copy of this book in exchange for my honest opinion.
I am a big fan of Alison Weir and her books. I enjoy both her fiction and nonfiction books so I was very excited to see her take on King Henry VIII. This book follows his life from around 11/12 until his death. I was very surprised that Anne Boleyn does not really factor into this book until about 40% of the way through. This book really talks about his journey to break with the Holy Roman Empire and take control of England and the religious reforms. I was surprised that his later 4 wives weren’t featured as much as I would have thought they would be in the second half of the book but that’s okay because they each have their own individual books written by Ms. Weir.
I really liked this book and am giving it 3.5 stars. I will probably end up buying this book and would recommend it as an easily accessible book for anyone just beginning their journey into discovering the life of King Henry VIII.

When Weir finished the Six Wives series with Katharine Parr, I thought that was going to be the end. Having Henry tell “his side of the story” was simultaneously a surprise and also felt logical… because of course he of all people would want the final say! The book starts with the death of Henry’s mother, proceeds through each of his marriages (with the majority of the book being dedicated to Katherine of Aragon and Anne Boleyn), major events during his reign, and finally the story ends with his death. This is a monumental amount of ground to cover in one book.

I can imagine how daunting this was to write because it was also pretty daunting to read. There is just so much going on that after several days I couldn’t believe I wasn’t even halfway through the book after so many things had happened. There are times I wanted less detail and more introspection, but I also admit, with Henry being a less than sympathetic character I think hearing his thoughts and emotions likely would have been eye-roll inducing.

Henry’s perspective is a challenging one, and now I understand why I haven’t read a novel from his point of view before. This is not my favorite book from Weir, not because of the writing itself, but because Henry is such a whiny little brat that it was difficult for me to stick with him. The early years have some great humor with his focus on conquering France, and his later years where his health is declining and he explores his regrets feel so real, but ultimately I think the reader will feel similar to how his wives felt… that listening to Henry is a bit of a chore.

It was very interesting hearing Henry VIII’s perspective on his life, especially since we’ve had many awesome books that gave voice to his wives. Alison Weir did a wonderful job with accurate historical facts, while giving everyone a voice that modern audiences would understand. I definitely enjoyed this book.

I always love reading Alison Weir because she always makes me think. This was an interesting read as it came from King Henry's own head. In a way I felt sorry for him as I feel he had England's best interests at heart he just went about it the wrong way.

Thanks to NetGalley for an ARC copy of this book!
I've read the wives books written by Weir and this is parallel to those- she has taken a full and dramatic character (Henry VIII) and crafted an easy to read historical novel that hits the political, cultural, and personal aspects of his life. All six wives are included as well as Henry's inner circle of courtiers and advisors.
Great book for anyone with an interest in Tudor life or Henry VIII specifically. What I really liked about it is that it's suitable for both people who little to no background on the Tudors or those who has read other books about the family/period. Weir's writing is easy to follow and approachable, and she keeps you engaged with lots of dialogue. 4.25 stars.

King Henry VIII...known as the king with 6 unlucky wives, he was much more than that. Becoming king at the age of 18 when his father died and reviewed himself as being second only to God because he was king. Not completely prepared to become king at that young age due to a somewhat what relationship with his father he had to learn on the job. It's hard to describe Henry: intelligent, passionate, devout, truly believing in his own destiny but also arrogant, inflexible and full of himself. The King's Pleasure as well titled, as Henry believed that everything was at his pleasure.

The King's Pleasure is a good companion piece to Alison Weir's books about Henry's wives; she does an excellent job of giving us the other side of their stories.

I normally love reading about the Tudors and love reading anything Alison Weir writes but being in Henry VIII's head for this book was downright painful. And anyone who knows his history knows he wasn't a likeable character. And I don't think anything could make him likeable. Though Alison did try.