Review: Ambition's Queen by V.E. Lynn

All I can do is shake my head while thinking of this book.

I know I've read the story of Anne Boleyn a billion and one times, but I will always pick up a new book about her. Most of them come from different perspectives or focus on different parts of her reign, but a lot of them are the exact same story. She seduced Henry, he divorced Katherine, Anne was crowned, had a daughter, miscarried a son, was imprisoned, tried, and died. But Ambition's Queen was told from a maid's perspective during the last few months of her life. So I thought it would be fun and interesting.

God, was I wrong.

Summary
As Thomas Cromwell goes through England, closing abbeys and collecting his riches, Bridget Manning is nearly left homeless when her own is closed. Luckily, through a distant blood relation to Queen Anne Boleyn, Bridget is brought on as a maid for the queen during her final tumultuous months alongside King Henry VIII.

Review

The longer I read Ambition's Queen, the more irritated I got. I continued reading for some inexplicable reason, but I was very happy to finish it. In the first 100 pages, I just figured the author was a newer writer. I was willing to forgive that, but eventually I grew annoyed with the way the characters were written.

First, let's get this out of the way: I know historical fiction is exactly that: fiction. But certain characters and events should be altered to improve the story. That was definitely not the case in this book.

In the very beginning, when Bridget is first introduced to the Queen (whom she feels is completely acceptable to refer to as simply "Anne," for whatever reason,) she notes that "the rumors were not true." What rumors you may ask? The rumors that Anne Boleyn had six fingers, a large wren (mole) on her neck and was cross-eyed, as well as that she practiced witchcraft.

Ugh.

Those rumors were started during the reign of Elizabeth I by a Spanish ambassador who was looking to discredit Elizabeth as a bastard, making her ineligible as queen and allowing a Catholic king to reign in her stead. Those rumors were started 25 YEARS LATER, at least. Unfortunately the rumors have continued until today, so many people do assume Anne had six fingers. But Bridget never would have heard anything like that, especially as a maid in an abbey.


Another aspect of Queen Anne that Bridget noticed were her plain looks, with only her eyes being somewhat beautiful. Later on in the book, however, Anne is described as having tear tracks mar her "savage beauty." So is she pretty or not? Consistency is all I ask.

Too be fair, the author is incredibly consistent on other aspects. At least twice, Cromwell's face lit up with a smile that made him look younger. Carew felt "antipathy" towards Anne whenever he was mentioned, and whenever Anne and Princess Elizabeth were together, the author made sure to tell us that Anne would only allow the best clothes for her daughter.

And then there were the characters. Every single one of them were written as if they were 17 years old and incredibly hormonal. I know Anne's rooms were typically very lively and not very chaste, but even the older, incredibly dark, controlling and serious characters were conveyed as childish. All of them fell in love at first site, and none of them were capable of controlling their emotions.

Let's not forget Norfolk, the man who passed judgement on his own niece and condemned her as a witch. This man is considered one of the most conniving, cruel men in history. He was portrayed as such throughout the novel during his few appearances. Yet at Anne's trial, he bursts into tears! And then again during her beheading! If you want to show Norfolk as a man who did have some remorse, that's fine. But don't decide in the eleventh hour that he should suddenly be emotional!

I was also incredibly annoyed by the relationship between Bridget, a maid, and Queen Anne. I confess I don't know much about the relationships between the courtiers of the 1500s (besides distinct marriages/mistresses,) but it seems highly unlikely that a queen would have become such close friends with a simple maid. More likely, the maid would have been present during events, but not having deep discussions with the queen into the night and serving as a confidante. 

This is my curse for wanting to read anything and everything about the Tudors. There are two more books about Bridget Manning, but I have no intention of reading them. Thank God I at least got this one for free.

My recommendation? Do not read.

Book Review: Under the Dome by Stephen King

The first Stephen King book I read was The Shining, and it scared the hell out of me. I'm a night reader- if I don't read before I go to bed, I typically have trouble falling asleep. But it was a mistake to read The Shining at night. I would reach a terrifying part, then continue to read so that something could serve as a buffer between horrifying descriptions of ghost women and my dreams. But of course there was no buffer- the terror kept coming. So I didn't sleep very much during those few days.

And of course I loved the book. Even though I haven't read even a fraction of Stephen King's enormous library, I love most of his books that I pick up. Although he is usually remembered for his horror stories like The Shining and It, his forays into science fiction are wonderful. His literary brilliance traverses the genres wonderfully.

Summary

The quaint New England town of Chester's Mill is suddenly engulfed in turmoil when an invisible but powerful dome cuts the town off from the rest of the world. With limited cell phone access and no way to breach the shield, the citizens of the town struggle to adapt to their new world of isolation. Ex-army sergeant Dale "Barbie" Barbara, town selectmen and used car salesman James "Big Jim" Rennie, his son Junior, and newspaper reporter Julia Shumway attempt to avoid political turmoil and potential disaster as the situation grows more and more desperate.

Review

If you've read any of King's books, you know his writing style is very distinct. Regardless of whether you are reading one of his classic tales of horror like Carrie or are enjoying one of his science fiction novels, you're likely to find there are some terrifying moments. Although The Dome isn't about grotesque ghosts roaming around town, the townspeople are horrifyingly evil, particularly Rennie and Junior. Unbelievably evil.

SPOILERS
For example, both Junior and Rennie have serious issues with Barbie. Junior (who is admittedly a teeny tiny bit completely insane) attacks Barbie and ends up getting his ass handed to him (cue embarrassment). Right after the dome comes down, Barbie, a former Army sergeant, is promoted to colonel by order of the president. Rennie doesn't handle his potential loss of power too well. Both kill two people, then decide blackmailing Barbie for all four murders is a good way of dealing with the bodies and their simultaneous hatred of Barbie.

Nothing says father-son bonding time like murder and a good frame job! 

And on top of this, Rennie creates additional chaos (such as orchestrating a riot at the local grocery store) so that he can swoop in and save the day/earn more power. He also stocks the police force with local idiots and thugs who are just looking for an excuse to beat up people. This guy definitely has issues.

end of spoilers

Something about these two just drew me out of the book. I still enjoyed it immensely, but the absolute corruption of these two characters always threw me off. I just simply cannot imagine that there are people so power hungry to be in charge of a small town of a couple thousand people that they would do these awful things.

As for the show.

I started watched the show almost immediately after I finished the book. And wow is it different. A lot of the characters have been mashed together or switched or have completely new stories. I really enjoy it because I can watch the show and see how else the story would have played out. Some of the characters are so completely different, but they are a lot more realistic than those in the book.

Ultimately, I love the book and I highly recommend it. Be sure to take it with a grain of salt, though.

Book Review: Fallen Beauty by Erika Robuck

Summary

Fallen Beauty focuses on the relationship between the scandalous poet Edna St. Vincent Millay and a young seamstress whose reputation was ruined by a tryst that led to being an unwed mother.

The novel begins with Laura Kelley, a pretty, 18-year-old seamstress out for a (secret) night in the
1920s with a mysterious man simply called "My Lover." Within just a couple of weeks, her entire world is turned upside down as her sister gets engaged, her father passes away, and she discovers that her first and only sexual experience led to a pregnancy.

As her life unravels, the famous bohemian poet, Vinny, to her friends, lives in a large and secluded home just past the small town Laura inhabits. All townspeople are aware of her presence, as she and her husband are wealthy, throw extravagant parties, and of course do not fit into the structured lifestyles of the small-town people.

When the two outcasts meet, they build a roller coaster of a friendship that affects both of them.

Review

I bought this book at a garage sale, simply because I liked the cover. At just a few hundred pages, it's a very quick read and doesn't require much brain power.

All in all, Fallen Beauty is neither literary genius nor a huge bust. I read the book fairly quickly, as it was perfect for taking to the pool or lounging underneath a tree with. Quite befitting of the main character's poetry profession, the novel was written quite beautifully, with very engaging descriptions of costumes, people, houses, and parties.

One thing I was not a fan of was the secrecy of Laura's lover's identity. At one point, about 30 pages in, I thought the author had revealed that the father of her daughter was the local priest (which would have explained why Laura refused to reveal his identity to anyone.) Once the lover was revealed, it was quite underwhelming. Although I was grateful she stopped using the term "lover," because that word just makes me thing of this.

If you're looking for something to take on vacation with you to the beach, this is a good choice.

I'll rate it at 2.5 stars.