This is a collection of short stories. Great for fans of the Tudor court. They are well written as you would expect from this author.

I thought In the Shadow of Queens was a good collection of stories that added extra, interesting detail and perspectives to the drama of Henry VIII’s court and the lives of his queens. Alongside lighter reads, I enjoyed dipping in and out of this, as most of the tales are quite sad in nature and sometimes on the darker side in themes. I very much look forward to continuing my Tudor reading with Alison Weir’s latest novel, Henry VIII: The Heart and the Crown.

I really enjoyed this set of stories!

Whilst these are available in the majority as individual books too, there is an extra book within this set that hasn’t been released and a few added extras from Alison too as you go through

Anyone who follows my blog will know that I do love my history books, both nonfiction and fiction and I also love an Alison Weir book and the Tudor period too so I was delighted to be able to read this one – it will be one that I get the hard copy for to add to my bookcase too

The characters in the different books were well developed and I loved the interaction. The books run in order through Henry’s queens and the books are easy to read and you can dip in and out after reading one or two. This is a must read for any Alison fans out there and also anyone with a passion for Tudor fiction books too

It is 5 stars from me for this one, a really nice set of books and thoroughly enjoyable!

Apparently Alison Weir didn't think it was enough of a challenge to write six full length novels in six years telling the story of Henry VIII and his wives. No in addition she also wrote several shorts stories and novellas about those at the periphery of the queen's...from their friends and servants to modern day historians. For the first time they have been gathered together, and for someone like me who very much mourned the end of the series it is a rare treat indeed. The authors notes were a great addition as well, letting the reader know what is fact and what was imagined. As always Weir treats her subjects with respect. A great concept and enjoyable read.

I read this ARC for an honest review
All thoughts and opinions are mine

I love Alison Weir and have read many of her books so was thrilled to be able to read this ARC
Love the Tudors and her books are always filled with little gems and new knowledge for me

I found this fascinating as it concentrates of lesser known women of the era and links to the more famous

Even if you are only slightly interested in this era of history you would still find this enjoyable

Loved it

In her series on the six wives of Henry VIII, Alison Weir produced superb fictionalised biographies of the some of the most famous women in history. This is a companion volume in which stories are woven around the more familiar tales. Here lesser known women are considered and their links to the more famous are shown as integral to Tudor politics. Weir is an outstanding historian and these tales flesh out more of her knowledge of Tudor court politics.

This is a brilliant series. This book is a collection of stories about the Tudors but in a way I wasn't expecting. It follows people that lived in the shadows of the queen's and tells their story from their perspectives.

I particularly enjoyed the authors notes that clarified what was truth, what was assumed from evidence and what was put together for fiction.

A collection of short stories based around the people connected to the six wives of Henry VIII & his court.
These stories read as non-fiction blended with fiction. I loved reading about the people forgotten in time - the few known facts cleverly blended into an account of their lives.
The only things that marred my enjoyment of this book is that a short story just doesn’t give enough time to get to know the characters & I really wish I’d had this as a ‘proper’ book to read a story, Google the facts, & digest before reading another story at a later date (especially as they are not all in chronological order - most stories revisited & overlapped in places). As I had a NetGalley e-copy I read it cover to cover in one go & it really doesn’t do it justice!
4/5 stars

In the Shadows of Queens is an eclectic mix of short story concerning those who dwelt amongst the Tudor court of Henry VIII. I say eclectic because none of these stories are similar, although the royal figures that move around them are well known.

I've not read all of Alison Weir's six queens series. I have, for many years, been rather 'Tudor'd' out. There are so many more exciting periods to write about, and it frustrates me that publishers won't look beyond the Tudors. Well, I'm pleased to say that this collection of short stories has reignited my interest in the period by revealing the unknown lives of others, much less well known characters - something that greatly appeals to me - and which publishers should be looking to do. Not the oft repeated stories of kings and queens, but the other 'Tudor' characters.

I enjoyed every single story. The attention to detail is staggering.

Thank you to Netgalley and the publisher for my review copy.

In the Shadow of Queens by Alison Weir - ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️. Thanks so much to @headlinebooks & @netgalley for my review copy!

As I mentioned in my last post, while I’ve read all of her prior historical novels I’ve not yet had the chance to dip into Alison Weir’s Six Tudor Queens series, so it was lovely to get a feel for them with this collection of short stories, some of which were published online to accompany the longer novels.

In the Shadow of Queens follows women whose lives have been shaped in some way by the Tudor Queens, their rises and their falls. We join a modern group on an Anne Boleyn walking tour of the Tower of London, Jane Boleyn, the unfortunate Lady Rochford from her marriage to the Queen’s brother to her execution as part of the downfall of Katharine Howard, and all of the various people thoroughly history who have disturbed the grave of Katherine Parr. Some of these stories are short and simply give an alternative perspective, interesting if you’re a fan of the period with an in depth knowledge of all the players, and some tell stories of love and loss, murder and secrets that would appeal to any reader that I really, really enjoyed.

Short story collections are not usually my thing, but if you’re a fan of Tudor historical fiction and want something easy to dip in and out of this autumn, I think In the Shadow of Queens is a lovely option.

I was captivated from the first page! I have not read the Six Queens series but have read many stories about each Queen. I loved this collection of short stories about the people behind those Queens and their everyday struggles and what life was like in the Tudor Court. I had heard of some of them but the majority I hadn't so found it extremely interesting and somewhat disturbing in some instances. Alison Weir has combined fiction and non-fiction and once again has done it so well. Her writing brings each character to life so richly. Her knowledge of the Tudor period outstanding and I look forward to reading the Six Queens series.

In The Shadow Of Queens: Tales from the Tudor Court is a collection of short stories giving a fictional insight into the lives and experiences of key figures at the courts of the six Queens of Henry VIII.

I’m usually a huge fan of historical fiction, particularly anything involving the Tudors, but unfortunately this one just didn’t work for me.

I prefer historical stories to have a stronger basis in actual events and the historical record, but these seemed to be largely invention (i.e.: the tale of Margery Otwell) and a lot of them involved too much of a supernatural element for my liking (seeing ghosts and the power to predict deaths).

Each of the stories has a different tone and voice and some are quite good, including Princess Mary and Anne Boleyn’s grandmother; however, some (especially the two in the Anne Boleyn section) felt almost cheesy and fan fiction-like.

In The Shadow Of Queens is certainly an interesting concept, as we always seem to get the perspective of the Queens themselves and not the background characters, and Alison Weir is clearly passionate about the subject.

I’m sure many readers and fans of this genre will find it fun, insightful and immersive, but it just wasn’t to my personal taste.

Behind every ill-fated Tudor Queen is a plethora of fascinating stories about the shadowy people who lingered on the periphery of court life but whose connection, with the women who had the misfortune to be married to Henry VIII, is as fascinating as the lives of the Tudor Queens themselves.

Beautifully presented with its colourful Tudoresque endpapers we are treated to a potted history of the six wives of Henry VIII before starting on a series of fascinating short stories which take us from the golden possibility of the short life of Arthur, Prince of the Roses, right through to the sad, and rather tragic, end to the life of Henry's last Queen, Katharine Parr.

For any lovers of Tudor fiction In the Shadow of Queens is an absolute gem and if you have followed the author's comprehensive series of novels about the Six Tudor Queens then I am sure you will find much to enjoy in this addition to the Tudor series. This compilation of short stories, and novellas, enhance the series and bring the Tudor court alive in fascinating detail, adding little extra snippets of information you never knew you needed to know about those who hovered on the edge of Tudor court life.

In the Shadow of Queens now completes the mammoth task the author set of completing six Tudor Queen novels in six years. There is no doubt that Alison Weir's passion, determination and undeniable expertise has given a new voice to the six women whose lives were dominated by a King, whose irascible moods swung, from peevish belligerence, to violent malevolence, and whose lives, little they knew it, were in danger from the moment they accepted the title of Tudor Queen.

I would accurately give this book a 4.5 because I enjoyed some of the short stories more than others. The stories reflect historically accurate accounts of people who lived in Tudor times around the court of Henry VIII and his wives. The author is a historian who has researched into some names and events and created a fictional story around them. I found that the Tudor period of Henry VIII came to life in these short stories.

Behind every great king stands a queen. And behind every queen, the whole court watches on. Over the years of his reign, six different women took their place beside King Henry VIII of England as his wife and queen. But the real stories of the six Tudor queens belong to those who lived among them. Played out in glittering palaces and whispering courts, these are tales of the people who loved and served these women, and those who lied and betrayed them. Collected together for the first time, In the Shadow of Queens reveals thirteen startling stories from the Tudor court, told by those at the very heart of that world.

As someone who has always been fascinated and obsessed with anything Tudor. This book had me hooked. This book is a collection of stories about the Tudors but in a way, I wasn't expecting. It follows people that lived in the shadows of the queen's and tells their story from their perspectives. I particularly enjoyed the author's notes that clarified what was the truth, what was assumed from evidence and what was put together for fiction.

This is a first for me by the author and one I enjoyed and would read more of their work. The book cover is eye-catching and appealing and would spark my interest if in a bookshop. Thank you very much to the author, publisher and Netgalley for this ARC.

I really liked this collection of short stories from the Six Queens series. It boarded the line of fiction and non-fiction and it showed me figures from the court i had not heard of before. Alison Weir's writing was as great as ever and i loved how the stories were from such as wide range of voices and time periods. I enjoyed this book a lot and thought it was a fantastic way to finish up the series.

Another triumph!
It was really refreshing to read shorter stories, mini novellas within a larger novel.
My obsession with The Tudors and Alison Weir to make these characters come to life continues.
Facts and fiction perfectly linked and a pleasure to read. I loved it!
Thank you for this copy to read

It's somehow poetic that Alison Weir was responsible for my love of all things Tudor and now it feels a bit emotional to have finished the series of six books on each #tudorqueen. This compilation of the short stories to accompany the series helped me cling on just a little bit longer to the magic of the Tudors and also it padded out a few behind the scenes details. It tied up a few loose ends...what happened to Mary Seymour, what happened to Katharine Parr's remains, what exactly was Lady Jane Rochford thinking when she gave evidence against her husband and sister in law for the most heinous crimes? I'm fascinated by it and I truly think anyone would be caught up in the intrigue of Henry VIII's court.

Thank you @netgalley for this advance copy which is due out on September 30th 2021.

3.5 stars

This is a collection of short stories and novellas from Alison Weir's 6-book series of the wives of Henry VIII. They flesh out the court and the lives primarily of the women in it. Fittingly, for a series that looked at queens, this collection is almost entirely focused on the women of Tudor nobility.

There are the stories of women at court, watching - and often trying to avoid being dragged into - all the drama. There is a story about Katherine Parr's daughter by her second marriage, and chilling tale about a woman who has her abusive husband killed to marry her lover. Key characters from history who are often ignored or made secondary characters get the spotlight - Jane Boleyn and Margaret Douglas.

I think it would be hard to find someone brought up in the English school system who doesn't know the basic history here, and a lot of the stories cover the same ground (with some extensions or reductions.) They are from different perspectives, but the plot itself doesn't have any tension because you know what's going to happen. Most of these stories were released individually as ebooks or included in the main series' editions. I think they might have been a bit more engaging like that - read in bursts.

They aren't the happiest of stories. Being focused on women, a lot die in childbirth. Being people of the 16th century, a lot die of illness. Accusations of treason abound and people lose loved ones, even if they're lucky enough to survive. It's interesting, but not happy. And the many deathly endings can make it feel a bit abrupt at times, because there isn't really closure for these people - they just die.

This book has left me aching for more! I’ve only recently got into HF from the Tudor period, and now I am obsessed!

I loved that this was a collection of short stories, you get all the action from each plotline in a relatively short timeframe, which I enjoyed. My favourites from the book are The Chateau of Briis, The Curse of the Hungerfords, The Princess of Scotland, The Wicked Wife and The Queen’s Child. I was enthralled with each story and enjoyed seeing events from each individual’s perspective. It was also helpful to have the section at the start explaining a bit about each of Henry VIII’s wives, as well as what is truth, based on truth, and pure fiction.

The author’s ability to portray the inner thoughts and emotions of the characters really bonds you to them and makes it an immersive read.

I haven’t yet read Alison Weir’s Six Tudor Queens series, but I will now, they shall be my next book purchases! I will also read each of these short stories again as they coincide with each book, is it a bit nerdy of me to say that makes me very excited with anticipation?!

Thank you so much to Netgalley and the publisher Headline for the e-arc to review.