The King's Pleasure

A Novel of Henry VIII

By: Alison Weir

Narrated by: Rosalyn Landor

The New York Times bestselling author of the Six Tudor Queens series explores the private side of the legendary king Henry VIII and his dramatic and violent reign in this extraordinary historical novel.

Having completed her Six Tudor Queens series of novels on the wives of Henry VIII, extensively researched and written from each queen's point of view, Alison Weir now gives Henry himself a voice, telling the story of his remarkable thirty-six-year reign and his six marriages.

Young Henry began his rule as a magnificent and chivalrous Renaissance prince who embodied every virtue. He had all the qualities to make a triumph of his rule, yet we remember only the violence. Henry famously broke with the Pope, founding the Church of England and launching a religious revolution that divided his kingdom. He beheaded two of his wives and cast aside two others. He died a suspicious, obese, disease-riddled tyrant, old before his time. His reign is remembered as one of dangerous intrigue and bloodshed—and yet the truth is far more complex.

The King's Pleasure brings to life the idealistic monarch who expanded Parliament, founded the Royal Navy, modernized medical training, composed music and poetry, and patronized the arts. A passionate man in search of true love, he was stymied by the imperative to produce a male heir, as much a victim of circumstance as his unhappy wives. Had fate been kinder to him, the history of England would have been very different.

Here is the story of the private man. To his contemporaries, he was a great king, a legend in his own lifetime. And he left an extraordinary legacy—a modern Britain.

©2023 Alison Weir (P)2023 Recorded Books

I’m left with questions

I’ve read many Tudor books including the six wives series. I’m left wondering how a monarch could be so mercurial and weepy. Was weeping Henry’s go to reaction. And could he love and be loved so easily. Would he really force himself on the women he loved while he was so grotesque? What one historical book on Henry’s life should I read to give me a better picture of him?

A Bit of a Letdown After Six Tudor Queens

I've got mixed feelings on this one. While it was a nice way to round out the Six Tudor Queens series, I found that it lacked a lot of depth. It was just too much to cover in any one book (I mean, the author literally wrote six to cover a similar time span).

I also never really found myself clicking with "Harry." It's not that I expected to like him, but I expected to at least get him a little. Maybe I'm just naive, but I can't believe he was truly such a bumbling fool and narcissist to really never understand what was going on around him. If this book is to be believed, he was a downright delusional man-child without an ounce of political savvy or self-awareness, and that just seems like a bit much.

Also, this book did *exactly* what I feared it would and spend close to 75% of the time with Katherine & Anne. I get that that's an important part of his story, but it's also the part that's been told countless times.

Rosalyn Landor was a great narrator, as always. I get why people would be thrown off by it not being a male narrator for a male MC, but I appreciated the consistency with the Six Tudor Queens series. In a series with literal countless characters, that bit of continuity was appreciated.

Love this author

I love novels is author wrote about the wives of King Henry the eighth, so I was excited when I found out about this one. It did not disappoint. I do wish they had gotten a male narrator, however.

good perception of Henry's life

I liked that it was from Henry's point of view. I love historical fiction

Humanizes Harry

It was great to get the story from the King's perspective after hearing from his 6 wives. He doesn't seem as creepy or crazy from his side of the story. I kind of wanted more details on some things. It felt like a brief summary in done areas but definitely worth a listen.