The King's Rose

Catherine Howard, cousin of Anne Boleyn, was a mere fourteen when she was appointed a member of Queen Anne of Cleves court. Stunningly beautiful, nubile, young, and naive, she was cunningly, cruelly used as a pawn by her family, the Howards, to gain the attention of the aging, ill, selfishly manipulative and corpulent Henry VIII.

Calling her his rose without a thorn, Henry played with Catherine as a new found toy.

While those who know the sad story of Catherine will not find new information in this book, still, I recommend it highly to readers who are enamored by Tudor history.

Libby's writing is crisp and clear. Her compelling way of portraying the story of Catherine tugs at the heart strings and the reader cannot help but feel pity and show more sorrow for the misguided ill advised youngster who is trust into a position she is not savy enough to navigate.

This book is found in the Young Adult section of the library. Like many books of this genre, it is a coming of age story. Tragically, Catherine's coming of age equated into death. show less

A little too much in the "adult situations" category for my liking. The period details were well written and it offers a vivid, if saddening, glimpse at life at court as one of Henry VIII's wives.

Catherine Howard’s story is such a sad one. She was younger when Henry married her than any of his other wives – even Catherine of Aragon who was 24 when the 18 year old Henry married her in 1509, 31 years before he married Catherine Howard. She was perhaps 18 or 19, married to this rapidly deteriorating, quite overweight man of nearly 50 who had a nasty, festering sore on his leg that wouldn’t heal. Anne was used by her family for material gain, but it always seems to me as if she had SOME control over what happened. Catherine seems much more naive, for all of her youthful indiscretions.

Naive certainly describes the Catherine Howard of Alisa M. Libby’s “The King’s Rose.” She never realized all of the drama and intrigue show more inherent in court life until she was thrust in the middle of it. I really, really liked Libby’s Catherine. Like the Catherine I so admired in Diane Haeger’s “The Queen’s Mistake,” she seemed real, unlike the one-dimensional girl typically depicted. Although she had been manipulated by family and unable to say no when Henry proposed, she still tried to be her own person, all the while following a much more complicated sense of morality than she is usually credited with.

“The King’s Rose” is a young adult novel and I think it hits all of its notes perfectly. Obviously, due to Catherine’s promiscuous youth, the crimes of which she is accused, and her execution it is on the more mature side of young adult literature. The writing was perfect for a young adult novel – quick and engaging, but not dumbing anything down, although Libby did tend to give a bit more background than many novelists but, again, this was done in a way that felt natural and won’t annoy those for whom this is their umpteenth Tudor novel. This definitely had more of a young adult feel than other novels I have read about Henry’s wives, but it completely worked, especially for the young Catherine.

I would definitely recommend this for both teens and adults, anyone who wants Catherine’s view from another perspective or who is looking for an entry point to the history of Henry’s other queens.

(This book was sent to me for review by the author, which had nothing to do with the content of my review) show less

As someone whose love of history (especially the Tudors) dates back to her early teens, I was really looking forward to reading this book aimed at readers aged 14 and up. I did find the book to be an engaging treatment of the story of Catherine Howard's marriage, especially as she is so often overlooked in favor of her more flamboyant predecessor. The writing was crisp and the pacing of the book was excellent.

I also think Libby did a wonderful job capturing the voice of her 15 year-old protagonist, though I quibble a little with Catherine's naivete in parts. I cannot help but believe that even the most sheltered 15 year-old would have been forced into a greater awareness of political realities in such a tumultuous time. Regardless, show more Libby made Catherine live, and revealed the pathos of her situation. Even knowing as I did how this story would end, I found myself wishing she would in fact receive a reprieve from her Henry.

Given the complexity of the cast of characters involved in this story, I would like to see a chart or list to help readers less familiar with the subject matter keep track of everyone. I read an ARC, so this oversight may in fact have been rectified during final printing. Also, some readers may be uncomfortable with the sexual component of the story (though it is minor and essential to the story). All in all, a highly recommended read for high schoolers interested in historical fiction. show less

Catherine Howard’s powerful family has contrived to put her in the constant gaze of King Henry VIII, relying on her beauty and youth to advance their own positions. When Henry proposes, their goal is accomplished, but what of Catherine? As queen, she is thrown into a complicated political world, well out of her depth, with a husband she hardly knows and a secret love for a man she can now never have. On top of this, many figures from her dissolute youth begin taking advantage of her new position, starting Catherine’s slow spiral down into fear and uncertainty.

This YA novel is gripping. I knew Catherine’s inexorable end, but I found her very easy to care for. I think that while Libby tries to make her sound mature and composed, as show more if Catherine believed that of herself, there is still a very young girl under there. Catherine is haunted by her inability to get pregnant, by people from her scandalous past, and by the memory of her cousin Anne Boleyn, just like her only on a grander scale. She never really seems to know Henry and even though she tries, genuinely fails at being a comfort to him. It’s clear she knows little of what is required of her as a wife and she is constantly hounded and ruled by her Howard relatives, all of whom distance themselves from her when the facade they created collapses. Catherine does very little as queen but get herself into trouble as a consequence. The impending doom rears its head with her affair as Catherine indulges her youthful love by telling herself that she needs a baby. She seems to know that this is treason, but like any teenager, cannot quite comprehend the magnitude of her crime until it is brought home to her violently.

I also particularly enjoyed the depiction of the Tudor court. As a girl, Catherine herself is very enamored of it and we see the splendors through her eyes. Pageants, dances, costumes, and dresses are all very exciting for her. It provides a wonderful sense of atmosphere and I felt as though I could see the dancing and the costumes.

This is a compelling work of historical fiction on Henry’s fifth queen. It is marketed to a YA audience but is easily enjoyed by adults as well. I recommend it, especially if you are interested in the Tudor period.

http://chikune.com/blog/?p=509 show less

What an amazing book! Alisa Libby breathes life into the sad story of Catherine Howard, the fifth wife of King Henry VIII. Even after closing the book I can't stop thinking about the story and about the poetic final paragraphs of the book. A ton of research went into this book and it shows, but not in an awkward way. One of the hardest things about writing historical fiction is incorporating details from your research without making what you're doing obvious and Libby does a great job of this. Those who are fascinated by the gruesome history of King Henry the VIII's reign and the Tower of London (like me!) will not be disappointed.

In “The King’s Rose”, author Alisa M. Libby brings to life the fifth wife of King Henry VIII.

Born into a family that was notorious for using the women of their family as stepping stones to enhance their status at court, young Catherine Howard becomes their pawn in the devious game of court elevation. Allowed to behave in an unscrupulous manner while living in the house of her grandmother the Dowager Duchess of Norfolk, Catherine must now burn her past and pretend it never existed. Knowing that the King’s marriage to Anne of Cleves is drawing close to an end, the Howard’s are once again determined to place one of their own back upon the English throne. Placing Catherine in front of the King, they have built her up as a woman of show more amazing virtue, much like Henry’s much beloved Queen Jane. Catherine soon finds that she has won the heart of the aging King. Concluding that combination of the King’s love, and the power of the Howard’s Catherine allows herself to believe that she would hold more power than any of Henry’s previous Queens, including her cousin Anne Boleyn. The new Queen soon finds herself surrounded by her old life. The girls that Catherine shared her lodgings and her secrets with during her stay with the Dowager Duchess come calling for a position in her Royal household. Allowing them to join her retinue, Catherine knows she must keep them close to avoid her past from coming to light. Unable to rid herself of the past she was told to destroy and unable to provide King Henry with an heir to throne, she is told that she must restart her affaire with her previous lover, Thomas Culpepper. Enlisting the aid of Lady Rochford, Anne Boleyn’s sister-in-law, who was the downfall of Ann, Catherine slips back into her old life. Suddenly Catherine’s fears become reality when a pair of familiar eyes greet her from behind the mask of a devil, she now realizes that her past is alive and raging like an inferno. The Howard’s now have come to the conclusion that Catherine is of no use to them and brings her transgressions to light. No longer is she the King’s rose without a thorn, she has hurt, betrayed, and humiliated the man who has loved her, the man who has the power to destroy those whom he has raised. Catherine finds herself condemned by her lover, Thomas, the man who has sworn to protect her, and betrayed by her family as well as Lady Rochford. Continuously haunted by her cousin Anne Boleyn, she now learns that she will share her fate as well as her final resting place. Anne and Catherine’s fate are now intertwined forever to be known as traitors to the Kings heart.

“The King’s Rose”, is a remarkable story showcasing the short life of Catherine Howard. Told from Catherine’s perspective, “The King’s Rose”, offers a fresh perspective on the life of this young, doomed queen. Alisa M. Libby has provided us with an up-close and personal narrative that truly brings Catherine to life. No detail has been overlooked, every aspect has been thoroughly researched. Alisa M. Libby has a way of writing that captivates the reader. You can feel the inner war that Catherine is constantly wagging within herself.

As a reader of both nonfiction and fiction works pertaining to the Tudors, I found this book to be a very interesting read. I enjoyed the fact that Alisa chose to write about one of Henry’s lesser known queens. I feel that she has given a voice to Catherine, so that her story though it may be fictional is told. One of the parts that will stay embedded in my memory from the book is at the end where Catherine is pleading to the King to show mercy and Henry just passes by without even a nod in her direction. Reading “The King’s Rose” is sure to provoke an endless steam of thoughts and discussions. show less