Review: Fatal Throne by Candace Fleming et al.
Overview:
Rating: 4 out of 5.
Fatal Throne, with its multiple authors and heavy focus on English history, is a book that I would consider outside of my comfort zone. While I wish it was a longer book with more depth, I was pleasantly surprised by the complexity of the narratives presented and its exploration of gender themes.
Content Warning:
Fatal Throne contains sexism, mild gore, childbirth, miscarriages, imprisonment, and scenes involving execution.
Book Description:
Taking place in 1800s London, Stalking Jack the Ripper is a YA horror novel with a pinch of historical fiction. Audrey is a young woman with a wealthy family and an interest in science. By day she tries to fit into polite society, by night she secretly helps her uncle perform autopsies. When a string of murders is committed by the infamous Jack the Ripper, her uncle is implicated as a potential suspect. With the help of another student, she must solve the crime before more innocent lives are lost.
Book Description:
Fatal Throne is a fictional retelling of the lives of King Henry VIII’s six wives, in addition to his own. Each perspective is written in the style of diary-like entries by one of seven popular YA authors.
On the Historical Accuracy of the Book:
As someone who is not an expert in Tudor history, I believe this book to be mostly historically accurate. Of course, the authors took some liberty in recreating private conversations and characters’ internal thoughts. However, I failed to find any feedback online or elsewhere that suggests a gross misinterpretation of events, and some professional organizations such as the Historical Novel Society have gone as far as to promote this work. Readers interested in learning more about the authors’ research can refer to the Bibliographic Afterword that is listed in the back of the book, which includes nonfiction, fiction, periodical, DVD, and website citations from a range of authors, historians, and institutions.
On the Structure and Flow of the Narratives:
Fatal Throne presents the narratives of the wives in chronological order, following the conclusion of each perspective with Henry’s account of events. The use of different authors added a very real change in diction and phraseology with the introduction of each individual, contributing to the overall believability text. I especially enjoyed the overlapping stories of the wives who knew and interacted with each other, such as Anne Boleyn and Jane Seymour. By allowing multiple perspectives on the same events, themes, and conflicts (as opposed to one), Fatal Throne requires critical thinking and complicates the reader’s understanding of major historical events in the best way possible.
On the Depth of the Story:
The six wives and Henry were each allotted approximately 50-60 pages for the entirety of their stories — a surprisingly short amount of space to communicate the vastness and complexity of such infamous human beings. Needless to say, this book is NOT a deep dive into the nitty-gritty details of Tudor history, but rather an overview of main events. I personally would have enjoyed more information on who the women were before they became wives, as well as a greater look into their day-to-day lives upon marriage. Instead, I really only got to access the portions of their stories that related to Henry VIII and the Tudor family.
On the Feminist Themes within the Book:
I would not say that this book is a great example of female empowerment (except for Anna of Cleeves, who is a total badass), but I do believe it provides a useful examination of how the patriarchy operates. Through the women’s overlapping stories, we see how their mistreatment by Henry led to internalized misogyny, slut-shaming, and “pick-me” mentalities. Through Henry’s entries, we learn how institutions such as religion and government aid and promote sexist actions.
On Who Might Enjoy Fatal Throne (an incomplete list):
I recommend you read Fatal Throne if you:
enjoy shows such as The Tudors or The Crown
seek themes of feminism in historical fiction, such as in Stalking Jack the Ripper or The Familiars
want a fast-paced read
appreciate experimental literature