Wendy J. Dunn

All that glitters is not gold ... as 14yo Kate Carey, daughter of Mary Boleyn will soon discover as she arrives at the court of her aunt Anne in 1535. What she will find is a viper's nest of secrets and scandal that will force her to grow up very quickly if she is to survive.

Told from the perspective of Kate, whose loyalty to her kin is remarkable in these last few months of Anne's life - a loyalty that could see her own downfall.

As the saying goes, sometimes the grass is not always greener show more on the other side. show less

In “Falling Pomegranate Seeds,” we meet a community of women travelling through Spain, from palaces to battlefields. We see through the eyes of Beatriz, the clever tutor of Catalina, daughter of King Ferdinand and Queen Isabella, how she and her sisters were prepared to be dutiful but influential, as spouses of the royal families of Europe. Catalina’s harsh upbringing caused her to mature quickly, enabling her to deal with what would lie ahead, when as Katherine of Aragon she would set show more out for England.

The detailed account of the tragic events within this renowned Court has been meticulously researched and has vibrant authenticity. Descriptions of the beauty of buildings such as the Alhambra or a dawn sky, are as vivid as the horrific depiction of death in battle. I can’t wait to read of her experiences when she reaches England. A superb read. show less

I was given this ARC by NetGalley and BooksGoSocial in exchange for my honest review. All opinions are my own.

This is a touching book about Katherine of Aragon, friendship and loyalty. Maria de Salinas is the storyteller in this final book of the Falling Pomegranate series and where it may have helped to read the first book I did not. I was able to follow along with the characters and the writing. Part of this may have been because of my interest in life in this time and the wives of Henry show more VIII.

Maria's cousin, Catalina, was sent to England to make a good marriage to the future king. Both girls are exiled from their homeland and now face many trials. The court in Tudor times was filled with danger and women were meant to listen and obey the men here. The two women are able to support each other through the hardships and fear.

Wendy Dunn writes about the Tudor times with such depth it is easy to see how this time is important to her, also. Her writing is beautiful, and her characters are rich. I loved this book and I highly recommend it. show less

Katherine Carey, daughter of Mary Boleyn wants nothing more than to leave her impoverished family home in the countryside and join her Aunt Nan at court. When her mother and stepfather finally agree to let Kate go, Aunt Nan, also known as Queen Anne welcomes young Kate with open arms. However, court life is not all fun and games as Kate imagined. Danger, lies and secrets are what Kate finds instead. Queen Anne has already fell out of favor with the King, Kate is unable to walk alone through show more the castle and everyone but Kate seems to know the secret behind her and her brother Henry's true parentage. After Queen Anne has an unsuccessful pregnancy and fails to give the King a male heir, conditions at court turn worse for the Boleyn family and Kate chooses to stay with her Aunt through her final days.

Written for a young adult audience, The Light in the Labyrinth was also a pleasant read as an adult. From the unique point of view of Mary Boleyn and King Henry's daughter, Kate, a character is created that sees Queen Anne in only a positive light. Kate's character is younger and naive to court life, everything that she discovers is new and different. She handles herself well, but not without some mistakes along the way. What I loved most about her character was that Kate was not afraid to speak up to her father, the King. Kate also discovers love for the first time with an age-appropriate romance with Francis Knollys. Since this is a young adult book there is not as much court intrigue, deception and plotting adult books; however, the main historical events portrayed are accurate. Overall, this is a Tudor book I would have have enjoyed reading when I was a teen.

This book was received for free in return for an honest review. show less