This is #2 in a three-book Tudor series about Charles Brandon, Duke of Suffolk and close friend of King Henry VIII and husband to Henry’s younger sister, Mary Tudor, Queen of France. Awarded two stars on Goodreads.
I guess this series is NOT intended to be read consecutively. Because it appears wholesale chunks of copy have simply been lifted from #1 and stuck into #2. The only other time I had that experience was when I read a bunch of historical fiction by Jean Plaidy.
While I understand that when an author has worked hard to research and describe events — it’s tempting to repeat those chunks of narrative when you write about the same events in a future book. But, personally, I felt a bit cheated, having to re-read material I had just been through in book #1. And there was a lot of it.
Image from Wikipedia
I also have the same complaint with #2 as I referenced in my review of #1 (though I WILL NOT repeat what I wrote word-for-word in THAT review – for obvious reasons). Riches’ writing is more a recitation of facts and events, with little emotional content or insight into the motivations of these historical figures.
I do plan to read book #3 about Charles’ final wife – Katherine Willoughby. I’m hoping that since she and Charles were only married a few years before his death, this will be more a story about Katherine’s life — with fewer options to cut and paste.
My Advice: I think this series, if undertaken, would be more enjoyable if the reader lets some time elapse between novels.
More about the author, Tony Riches.
Here is a link to my review of the first book in this three-novel series – Mary, Tudor Princess.
Toby A. Smith 