Thorns, Lust, and Glory: The Betrayal of Anne Boleyn

Thorns, Lust, and Glory: The Betrayal of Anne Boleyn is a biography on Anne Boleyn who is known to the world as the infamous doomed second wife of Henry XVIII. This book shows how Anne’s life led her to marrying the King of England. Was she betrayed by France where she spent time working in the Queen’s household and getting an education? What was her life like in France? What influence did it have on her? Was she misunderstood? Was the politically motivated? Was she just a young woman trying to improve her station? Was she a pawn? Was she caught in the middle of schemes, plotting, and power grabs? So many questions about this infamous woman.

I enjoyed reading about Anne and her early formative years. I also enjoyed learning about the time in which Anne lived. We are shaped by our surroundings and upbringing to a degree. How much was Anne influenced by hers? Anne continues to be an intriguing figure in history. There have been so many books, movies, and The Tudors series which explore the life of Henry XVIII and focus heavily on Anne Boleyn. She continues to fascinate and intrigue after all this time.

In Thorns, Lust, and Glory: The Betrayal of Anne Boleyn the author provides her insights into Anne’s downfall. She also includes what she feels shaped Anne – her time in France. I admire the amount of research that was done by the author prior to writing this book. I did learn a few things which is always a plus as well. The writing was wonderful and there is a lot of information provided.

I wasn’t a big fan of the recreated dialogue. We don’t know Anne’s thoughts or emotions. Sure, we can guess some of them based on how we would feel in the situations she was in, but that is speculative.

Thank you to Hachette Books who provided me with a copy of this book in exchange for an honest review. All the thoughts and opinions are my own.