I'm sorry but I can't go on with this book. I read about six chapters and I don't like it. I know Alison Weir is very successful with her novels, but she is a much better historian. Her characterizations are convincing but paper thin, and there is way too much narrator exposition reciting things Henry knew or thought. One of the main tenets of good fiction writing is to show, not tell, and this book is ninety percent telling. It's like she is writing the books she wanted to write all along but couldn't because she was writing as a historian, and I don't care to read them. Thank you for giving me the opportunity to try it.

Alison Weir has put out another well researched book, this time about King Henry the 8. It was interesting reading the perspective of the king through his marriages and various affairs in the political sphere. I found the book a bit dry in parts, mainly because it was more on the politics of King Henry’s life versus the sexy scandals that is usually focused on. Overall, I enjoyed the book and would recommend it to anyone interested in the Tudors.

The King's Pleasure: A Novel of Henry VIII by Alison Weir is an excellent historical fiction that gives us the voice and story of Henry VIII through his own personal account. This is the second book in the Tudor Rose series. I just loved it!

I have read almost every book Alison Weir has written (I’ve got two left!!!), and I have loved every one. So of course I was excited to read her newest book. I liked The Last White Rose, and I love the Tudors, and English and Scottish history…so yes, this was right up my alley.

This is the first book I have read written in the voice of Henry VIII or “Harry in this book” himself. I know quite a bit about him, his life, and those involved, but this definitely brought a more humanistic perspective. He still did some downright atrocious things, however some of the reasons that he was convinced of, lent him almost a personable and sympathetic character…albeit greatly flawed.

I think his Achilles’s heel was a combination of the monumental loss of his mother at a young age, the fact that he could never live up to the expectations of his father and the relationship of his father and older brother, Arthur, and his insecurities. The fact that he compared every potential mate and Queen to that of his elevated and adored mother made failure for these women inevitable, and the issue that he was never given confidence and gifted responsibilities from the King, his father, made him mask all of these insecurities and fears (especially of his own death and that of his good name/lineage/dynasty) in his bravado, aggression, quick-changing mind, inattention, stubbornness, and the ability of those surrounding him to easily influence him. He constantly battled the need for acceptance, love, consistency, admiration, and attention with that of frustration, anger, privacy, volatility, change, and the next best thing (or the conquest).

The quote below from the book, to me, says it all:

“At forty-five, he prided himself that he still cut a fine figure of a king. His waist was narrow, his chest broad. Yet his mirror showed him that age was encroaching. He was losing his hair and his face had coarsened. The frustrations and stresses of the last years had left their mark, and not only on his appearance. Where he had once been open-handed, liberal and idealistic, he was now contrary, secretive, combative and changeable. He knew it, but could not help it, or the temper that erupted in him with increasing frequency. It was the price, he assured himself, of his greatness—and the frustrations and mishaps he had suffered.”


He was a complex, intelligent, flawed, and fascinating man in so many ways, and I loved being able to hear history through his own voice.


5/5 stars

Thank you NG and Ballantine Books for this wonderful arc and in return I am submitting my unbiased and voluntary review and opinion.

I am posting this review to my GR and Bookbub accounts immediately and will post it to my Amazon, Instagram, and B&N accounts upon publication on 5/30/23.

The King’s Pleasure brings to life the idealistic monarch, Henry VIII and travels through his life from his point of view, which is a new perspective from author Alison Weir. The reader is put right in Henry's mind as he navigates ascending to the throne and making decisions to construct his legacy. Weir paints a very vivid picture with rich details from the buildings and architecture, to the court's actions and right down to the characters' clothing. I highly recommend this novel for anyone who is a fan of Alison Weir and/or enjoys Tudor history.

“The King’s Pleasure” by Alison Weir is about one of my most favorite historical figures, Henry VIII of England. I’ll admit to being a huge enjoyer of Ms. Weir’s non-fiction books about the British Royalty and I’ve read a few of her non-fiction books about the wives of Henry VIII too. So, with all that in mind, saying that I was thrilled to receive an advance copy of this book is a huge understatement.

Henry VIII is a difficult person to write about, in my biased opinion. A lot happened in his lifetime - not including the fact that he had six very different wives. So, I’m sure that for Ms. Weir picking and choosing what to include in this book was difficult. A huge majority of the book (about 80%) is devoted to his life up to the time of his third wife. The last ten years of Henry VIII’s life takes up the remaining 20%. I can understand why Ms. Weir made this decision, but I felt that his last three wives in this book didn’t have as much to contribute to the overall book.

What I liked - I’m a big fan of Margaret George’s historical fiction book about Henry VIII, so I was thrilled to see Will Somers make an appearance (although Ms. Weir has included him in one of her fictional books too). I liked the set-up of the Tutor court buildings, food, pageantry, and overall excess descriptions. A family tree was marked as “to come” in my pre-release, which I think will be helpful. I liked how Ms. Weir wove historical bits into her story, including some I looked up to learn more about (and refresh my memory). Overall, this was a hugely enjoyable book - and coming in at 512 printed pages, I’m glad it was so enjoyable. My one comment - and it’s an author’s choice - is how when someone is bestowed a title, they are mentioned as that new name henceforth. I usually end up checking online to see who is who as I can get a bit confused, especially with those bestowed multiple times (looking at you Thomas Boleyn).

Overall, if you enjoy Ms. Weir’s historical fiction books, especially her six devoted to Henry VIII’s queens, I would suggest giving this book a try as Henry VIII finally has his own version told. I applaud Ms. Weir for that - it’s not an easy task.

Thank you NetGalley, Random House Publishing Group, and Alison Weir for allowing me to read an advanced copy of The King's Pleasure.

I was beyond thrilled to have my request accepted to read this book before it's official publication. Alison Weir is one of my favorite authors and I have read her individual books about Henry VIII's six queens. I plan on rereading those books in between rereading The King's Pleasure to get both perspectives at the same time.

This book would be a great starting off point for someone looking to learn about Henry VIII for the first time. We get to read about his politics, his religious beliefs, his relationship with each wife, his longing for a son to carry on his reign, his friendships, his favorite activities, etc.

This book would also be great for someone who has already studied Henry VIII and wants to compare their opinions with Weir's conclusions.

Weir wrote this fictional account of Henry's life so beautifully. I cannot wait to read what she writes next.

Alison Weir does a wonderful job creating the setting of Tudor times through her descriptions of feasts, clothes, sports, and castles. This book follows Henry VIII from age eleven to his death and provides great insight into his life.

You just can't go wrong with an Alison Weir novel. Even though I know this story inside out, I loved it just the same. Reason is it's told from Henry's point of view and the author really tries to show the vulnerable side of Henry. It's a little over 500 pages but it's so great that the pages will fly by. I was invited to read this by the author, the publisher and am honored to give my honest opinion.

Pure Alison Weir, magnificent! There are many books about Henry VIII and his story from his own point of view, but this is one of the best.