I loathe and despise recreated dialogue in non-fiction - it’s like nails on a chalkboard to me. Nor am I fond of supposition in history books. Admittedly, Anne Boleyn didn’t leave much for historians to work with and what little she did leave has been obscured throughout the years… but still. I stand by my opinion that, if it can’t be backed up by evidence, it doesn’t belong in a history book. If Paranque wanted to make up dialogue and theories, she should just have written a novel.

I grew up in a family with a sort of Tudor Monarchs hobby. We watched documentaries together. We sought out trivia and anecdotes. Tensions in the air? Teetering on the edge of an outburst? The Tudors were a safe topic, one that could have us speaking civilly again. Given that, is it any wonder that I was eager to get my hands on a review copy of an upcoming Anne Boleyn biography?

What makes Thorns, Lust, and Glory different from so many other Tudor titles is that it really focuses on Anne. Given the historical material available, Estelle Paranque has done an effective job of helping us to see Anne as Anne and not as wife number two, the first one to be beheaded.

Paranque occasionally oversteps when she presents material she's inferred as fact, describing emotions as Anne's when really they're just her own best guess. But readers can forgive this in exchange for a narrative that's truly Anne-centric.

If you're interested in the Tudors, particularly the six women whose lives get summed up in the rhyme "divorced, beheaded, died/divorced, beheaded, survived," you'll find Thorns. Lust, and Glory an compelling read.

I received a free electronic review copy of this title from the publisher via NetGalley; the opinions are my own.

This was definitely an interesting read for anyone interested in Tudor history. Paranque makes some interesting inferences about Anne Boleyn being a "French princess" and that she was betrayed by France despite acting in French interests. I'm not necessarily sure where the author derives this particular motive-- but it is interesting nonetheless!

Unfortunately after her execution, traces of Anne Boleyn were wiped out-- leaving much to speculation of what she felt/thought during her life. I commend Paranque for continuing to give our voiceless Boleyn the spotlight. For further reading, I highly recommend The Creation of Anne Boleyn by Susan Bardo-- which heavily touches on her erasure from history and how she was portrayed throughout history after her death.

I really enjoyed this fresh approach to Anne Boleyn's history. The author made a lot of choices so the book eead more like historical fiction at times, but everything was still rooted in the actual history of her circumstances.

The writing was concise and very easy to read, and learning about Boleyn's life through the lens of her role in the French court offered a new perspective that I hadn't been previously given.

Overall, a great read on a very interesting subject.

Thanks NetGalley and the publisher for this ARC in exchange for my review.

⚜️ Anne Boleyn is one of the most controversial, yet enduring, figures in history. And now, with this brilliant work by @estelleprnq - her rise to glory and eventual fall from grace, is charted like never before. For, behind this woman was a slew of influential people, intent on increasing their power and fortune and staking it all on Anne Boleyn. And, when Anne failed to provide the much longed-for male heir, those same people abandoned her as quickly as they had risen to support her. Chief among these were the French king, Francis I and his court and ambassadors. Paranque details the history and backstory of many of the most influential - yet often overlooked - figures in orchestrating Anne's rise. With no foreign royal family to fall back on for protection, Anne used the French as a pseudo-safeguard against the bloody machinations of the Tudor Court. Unfortunately, to quote Taylor Swift, "Blood's thick, but nothing like a payroll." And unfortunately, Anne exemplifies the lives of many women in history whose protection fails to exist when they cease to be of value to men's ambitious machinations. I thoroughly enjoyed this look at Anne's life through this lens and will continue to keep me awake into the night with a whole new slew of "what-ifs." And, I invite you to do the same ❤️
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I received this book in return for an honest review from @netgalley

I enjoyed this a lot; you would think that after all these years and all these books, there's nothing new to be said about Anne and Henry but that would be wrong. I really liked the approach of looking at the story from the relationship between Anne and the various members of the French court, that's a different approach. I have another book by Paranque on my TBR (Blood, Fire and Gold) and it's definitely moving to the top of the pile.

A very good telling of the rise and fall of Anne Boleyn. Explains many reasons why Anne was executed, not just because of Henry's edict but her connections with the French king and court in her youth. She is remembered over 500 years later for her life and death and also being the mother of Elizabeth I. She continues to fascinate even to this day. I received this free copy for an honest review from Netgalley.

This non-fiction account starts with Anne’s time as a lady-in-waiting at the French court. There, she was exposed to great thinkers, new ideas, and the politics of surviving the cutthroat atmosphere at court.

We follow Anne back to England, where she catches the eye of Henry VIII, and begins one of the most famous love affairs of all time.

Most of the book centers around King Henry’s “great matter,” his desire to divorce Catherine of Aragon and marry Anne. The author does a good job of describing the political and religious ramifications of England’s split with Rome.

However, for much of the book, Anne is in the background. Henry VIII, King Francis I of France, and their various ambassadors and envoys play a larger role in the book than Anne. I felt like we never really got to know her.

I understand that there are few (if any) surviving letters from Anne, and almost all of the information we have about her comes from the men in her life. Still, it was disappointing to find her a supporting character in a book that bears her name.

Thanks to @netgalley and @hatchettebooks for an eARC in exchange for my honest review.

Check out this book if you’re interested in the political machinations behind Henry VIII’s desire for a male heir, with Anne Boleyn as collateral damage.

Thorns, Lust and Glory fills in the gaps left by many books written about Anne Boleyn as it concentrates on the machinations of the Courts and diplomats, both of which were responsible for Anne's formation and downfall. Through this lens, the focus is removed from Anne herself, and widened so that the reader can better understand what was going on behind the scenes in an attempt to manipulate the relationship between Henry VIII and Charles V, I found this book to be extensively researched and appreciated its focus.

I enjoyed reading about Anne's life in the French court, as I feel like most resources I've come into contact with about Anne Boleyn have been started with her joining the English court. And while the dealings of the French court certainly impacted Anne's life and the world around her, I personally would have preferred a closer look at Anne's personal life at the time and a more zoomed-out look at the inner workings of French politics at the time because at times it felt like Anne herself was in the backdrop. That said, the writing itself was very engaging and I would certainly recommend this for anyone fascinated by Tudor history and western Europe history.

In Thorns, Lust, and Glory, Estelle Paranque's narrative spends a great deal of time discussing the French court in detail and sheds no new insights on the life of Anne Boleyn. King Francis and his political maneuverings with Henry VIII and other world leaders is interesting, but it overwhelmed this book. Where Anne's life intersected with Francis' the information was helpful, but I would have preferred the narrative to stay closer to Anne's story.

I had high hopes for Estelle Paranque's Thorns, Lust, and Glory. I have always wanted to read a book which could shed more light on Anne Boleyn which balances the popular portrait of her while not lionizing her image either. Paranque's book is focused on how Boleyn was betrayed by France while being accessible to general audiences. Unfortunately, I think these aims caused massive problems with the overall narrative.

In Paranque's attempt to make this more exciting for general audiences, she makes three bad choices. First, Paranque states she "recreates" dialogue. Also, the recreated dialogue is not tagged in a way for the reader to know as far as I can tell. I don't know why authors write history instead of historical fiction when they feel the need to create scenes and dialogue. Yes, a historian like Paranque may know the material well enough to guess quite well what people may have said. The simple fact, though, is that we don't know and creating something makes it fiction. This is no longer non-fiction.

The second problem is massive amounts of supposition. To be clear, this is not entirely the author's fault as much of Boleyn's writings were destroyed. However, I started highlighting the sections where the author uses phrases like, "there is no doubt that," or "but surely she must have felt." In a history book, these types of leaps need to be grounded in sound research and common sense. These examples of supposition often did not have a corresponding reference. Yes, it is completely reasonable to assume anyone who saw the Field of Cloth and Gold would be awed because we have enough evidence to make that short leap. It would not, for instance, be safe to assume that because Boleyn filtered information to her father about an ailing queen that she cared about the health of said queen.

The final problem is the framing narrative. Paranque wants to prove, in essence, that Boleyn was betrayed by France due to politics. This is a strange stance to take since in reference to the betrayal of Cardinal Wolsey in this book, Paranque herself writes that there are "no friends in politics." If so, Boleyn wasn't betrayed, it was just politics. Also, in trying to prove this thesis, Boleyn is totally sidelined and robbed of agency in the narrative. Having to explain all the politics of the age means Boleyn herself takes up very little page count in the overall narrative. The space she has is mostly taken up by Paranque projecting onto Boleyn. Boleyn is not given the spotlight needed for the reader to feel for her in her fall from grace.

(Tangent: We do not give Henry VIII credit enough for being the absolute worst. Please look out for my book, Henry VIII: He Sucked So Much and We Need to Talk About it More. Please note I just made that up and I will never write a book because it's really hard.)

As I just said, writing a book is hard with numerous pitfalls. I think Paranque started this with a sincere attempt to re-frame Anne Boleyn's life, but the very thesis required too many diversions and filling in of a lot of blanks. I think if Paranque turned this into historical fiction, she could have produced something much more solid.

(This book was provided as an advance copy by Netgalley and Hachette Books.)

I have heard Estelle speak on several podcasts about her books but so far this is the first one I have read. She is passionate about her research and the women she studies. It is easy to tell how much she cares and how deeply she researches to find out new and interesting tidbits that may have been overlooked in the past. This was an interesting look into the French perspective on the King's Great Matter and Anne Boleyn becoming Queen of England. I would highly recommend this to anybody who loves Tudor history and Anne Boleyn.

Really enjoyed this book. So informative, detailed, and descriptive with meticulous research but compiling it all in a way that was enlightening while piquing your curiosity.

Thank you Netgalley and Hachette Books for the digital arc!

Thorns, Lust, and Glory is a new look at Anne Boleyn through the lens of her French connections. There are a lot of biographies of Anne Boleyn. As Henry VIII's second wife and the impetus for his break with Rome, she's one of England's best known queens. But her time in France as a lady-in-waiting to Queen Claude, wife of King Francois I, and her ties to the French royal family tend to be merely a footnote in her larger story.

This book gives a new dimension to a well-known history. We see a different side of Anne Boleyn and the story of the King's Great Matter (Henry VIII's attempt to divorce Catherine of Aragon to marry Anne), and it gives a new view of Anne. I've read a lot about Anne Boleyn, but much of the information in this book was new to me. I definitely recommend it to anyone who's interested in Anne or Tudor history.

[I received a review copy of this book from the publisher via Netgalley in exchange for an honest review.]

<B><I>Thorns, Lust and Glory: The Betrayal of Anne Boleyn</I></B> by Estelle Paranque is a highly engaging book that doesn’t quite live up to the presumption of “betrayal” made in the title.

The premise set up in the early pages of <B><I>Thorns, Lust and Glory: The Betrayal of Anne Boleyn</I></B> and explored throughout the book is admittedly somewhat blurry: the general idea is that Anne was "betrayed" by the French who refused to take a stand against Rome in favor of supporting England, Henry VIII and her marriage.

The book later fleshes out this idea, positing that this was a “betrayal” because Anne was essentially a "French princess," that she had been acting in French interests after her rise in England, and thus the refusal of the French king and court to support England over Rome and step in when Anne herself was arrested was specifically a betrayal against Anne Boleyn herself.

While Paranque explores what we do know of Anne's connections to France (which continued after she left England, to at last some degree) and discusses at length the political and diplomatic schemes, plots and pleadings involved in the various attempts to gain French support for Henry VIII’s annulment and remarriage, I don't feel that the general thesis was actually supported by this presented evidence.

Yes, Anne served in the court of France for some years. Yes, Anne entertained French ambassadors, and went with Henry to France in their bid to get Francis' support for their marriage. Yes, the French sent various diplomats at various times to attempt to drum up support for Henry VIII’s will on the matter of his marriage(s).

But nothing written about in this book supports this idea that Anne was acting in French interests, that she was--as Paranque writes numerous times in the book--essentially a "French princess," nor that the French’s actions could be viewed as as a “betrayal” against Anne Boleyn.

Paranque writes in her introduction that, “Some dialogue has been re-created from primary sources and perhaps I have also allowed myself more speculative claims that again are based on primary evidence, but rely evidently on my own judgment and appreciation of them.”

In regards to the dialogue being primary sources repurposed, it’s not something I like to see done in non-fiction without the author admitting that they are putting letters into a different context at the moment.

Otherwise, readers are left to wonder: is what I’m reading an accurate representation of this primary source? Was the original primary source a letter, which has been spun into a piece of dialogue? Did the primary source use these exact words? What does recreated mean, here?

While it may make the book more readable, it makes the final understanding of the history fuzzier, and thus not something I want to rely on when learning about Anne Boleyn or these events.

Speculation is inherent when writing about history, especially a figure like Anne Boleyn where there are shockingly few traces of her thoughts and feelings, but the speculation in the book often goes too far.

There is a difference between, for instance, suggesting that a young Anne would have surely been impressed by royal spectacle witnessed as a lady-in-waiting to the French queen and what Paranque does repeatedly throughout this work, which is connect basic events ("Anne witnessed this spectacle while serving in France") and leap to vaster conclusions.

For instance, Paranque writes, after exploring the brief courtship between Henry Percy and Anne Boleyn, that Anne was "buoyed with confidence from her years in France, and what she had learned from the royal women there, she felt ready for whatever might be in store. Secretly, she prayed for glory."

Did she? When? What about Anne's reaction (which is to say--we don't know it!) to the ending of her courtship with Percy, or anything at all from this period, suggests that she was secretly praying for glory? Suggesting that perhaps she admired the powerful women at the French court is one thing, but writing at this stage that she secretly prayed for glory is an entirely different level of speculation.

Although I don’t really agree with the basic premise of the book and I don’t think there was any great revelation made here regarding Anne being “betrayed” by France, I did appreciate some of the smaller details that Paranque was able to uncover regarding Anne’s time in France, along with more detailed information about the movement of diplomats in regards to the “marriage problem” of Henry VIII.

I think that many popular portrayals about the marriage forget just how long it took for decisions to be made, just how many politicians, courtiers and clergymen were tasked with trying to resolve the king’s “question” of his marriage; all these moving parts, at least in regards to France, are covered here in a way that is easy to understand.

Paranque’s writing is very engaging as well, even when the book is covering what might otherwise be a bit of a slog to get through. Sometimes I felt like I was listening to someone speak passionately about a subject they were invested in, which makes for easier reading when it comes to non-fiction.. You can tell that Paranque has a strong passion for Anne Boleyn and respect for what she endured in her final days.

Although I don’t think the book lives up to the premise that Anne was “betrayed” by the French, I do think the book is worth a look if you’re interested in more of the behind-the-scenes diplomatic details regarding Henry VIII and Anne Boleyn. The book does contain more actual primary sources (versus speculation about what Anne surely must have felt or done) when it comes to these diplomatic missions, so that is one of the stronger areas of the book.

Thorns, Lust and Glory attempts to delve into the emotional landscape of one of history's most enigmatic figures. While the concept is intriguing, the execution leaves much to be desired. The book doesn't introduce any fresh insights into Anne Boleyn's story, relying instead on speculative interpretations of her emotions. Unfortunately, the middle section drags, losing momentum and focus. The writing style, reminiscent of a university term paper, lacks the polish and depth expected from a seasoned historical author. Overall, it’s a read that may interest Anne Boleyn enthusiasts, but it falls short of offering anything truly groundbreaking.

Thanks to Net Galley for an ARC of this book!
I've read quite a few other books related to the Tudors/Anne Boleyn, and Paranaque has managed to find a niche of the story that hasn't been told yet. Much of the storyline is the same- the rise and fall of the Boleyn's in English politics; but she takes a wider lense of the time, spending a chunk of the book discussing the choices and impacts of kings in France & Holy Roman Empire, and the pope in Rome. While the broader scope complicates things a bit (it's not just about love Henry, there are some politics involved too!), I appreciated understanding the mechanisms in play as England, France, and Spain jockey for power in Europe. I would recommend this book for anyone who has a basic understanding of the Tudor story and wants a different perspective on the 1520's/1530's in Europe.

I love reading British history especially about the Tudor dynasty. This biography of Anne Boleyn is very detailed and certainly reveals how she became so hated by the people. I believe many of the things she did and said were misunderstood and she certainly trusted in many who would eventually betray her. Anne was definitely arrogant at times but I believe at least in the beginning she truly loved Henry. Problem with Henry was he was enamored with Anne. She was relatively young and he believed she would give him a male heir. Alas that never happened and those close to her schemed to get rid of her.

I thoroughly enjoyed this book. Anyone who loves history especially British history will enjoy it. I highly recommend it.

Only downside with this book is there are many foreign names which tended to slow my reading but it is well wirth it.

I'm usually a big fan of anything Anne Boleyn. This was a well written, informative read. Highly recommend!