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Review: Gilt by Katherine Longshore


In the court of King Henry VIII, nothing is free--
and love comes at the highest price of all.


When Kitty Tylney's best friend, Catherine Howard, worms her way into King Henry VIII's heart and brings Kitty to court, she's thrust into a world filled with fabulous gowns, sparkling jewels, and elegant parties. No longer stuck in Cat's shadow, Kitty's now caught between two men--the object of her affection and the object of her desire. But court is also full of secrets, lies, and sordid affairs, and as Kitty witnesses Cat's meteoric rise and fall as queen, she must figure out how to keep being a good friend when the price of telling the truth could literally be her head.


My Thoughts
I must admit I have been putting off reading this book for a while. I love historical fiction when it is good but I am always apprehensive in case particular stories aren't so I often find I need to be in the right mood for them. As it happens I am currently watching the Tudors on DVD and the series which is about the same time period as this book is set so I finally decided I was in the right frame of mind to pick this one up.

The history geek in me loved this book. It is reasonably accurate in the portrayal of events and people it portrays. The storyline is fast and pacy and keeps you wanting to read more and more. I loved getting into the intrigue at Henry VIII's court and loved that this book was about one of the wives who isn't as frequently featured in books or TV shows which meant I wasn't reading a story that I already knew back to front.

Definitely a book I will be recommending in future both as a YA reader but also as a History Teacher. 

Comments

Anya said…
Yay, love a good historical fiction! And this time period is overlooked quite often, I'm glad it's becoming popular :)
I loved that this book was about Catherine Howard too as I tend to read more about Anne Boleyn and thus quite a bit was new or at least less familiar to me.