A Matter of Time
Henry VIII: The Dying of the Light – The Henrician Chronicle, Book 3
Review
This is a superb chronicle of the last years of one of the most famous kings of England. Written entirely from Henry’s perspective, we watch him wrestle with the the killing of his former wives and his subsequent horror at what he has done. We also witness his slow decline from vibrant man to a hulk that is disintegrating before our eyes. The break from Rome and its effects on the Church are fully explored with the battle between the old and new forms of worship playing out in a way Henry had not anticipated. The responsibility of being a monarch settles hard on Henry in this book, and the reader sees him come to terms with policies and decisions that he may now regret but has to live with. We see him begin to value women more for their conversation and statesmanship than for their youth and sexuality. It is a brave book for a woman to write – to get inside the head of this most renowned of kings and to make it believable, fascinating and insightful. I’ve read all three of these books and can’t recommend them highly enough. For anyone interested in Tudor history this is a must read.
About the Book:
With youth now far behind him, King Henry VIII has only produced one infant son and two bastard daughters. More sons are essential to secure the Tudor line and with his third wife, Jane Seymour dead, Henry hunts for a suitable replacement.
After the break from Rome, trouble is brewing with France and Scotland. Thomas Cromwell arranges a diplomatic marriage with the sister of the Duke of Cleves but when it comes to women, Henry is fastidious, and the new bride does not please him. The increasingly unpredictable king sets his sights instead upon Katherine Howard and instructs Cromwell to free him from the match with Cleves.
Failure to rid the king of his unloved wife could cost Cromwell his head.
Henry, now ailing and ageing, is invigorated by his flighty new bride but despite the favours he heaps upon her, he cannot win Katherine’s heart. A little over a year later, broken by her infidelity, she becomes the second of his wives to die on the scaffold, leaving Henry friendless and alone.
But his stout heart will not surrender and leaving his sixth wife, Katheryn Parr, installed as regent over England, Henry embarks on a final war to win back territories lost to the French more than a century before. Hungry for glory, the king is determined that the name Henry VIII will shine brighter and longer than that of his hero, Henry V.
Told from the king’s perspective, A Matter of Time: Henry VIII: the Dying of the Light shines a torch into the heart and mind of England’s most tyrannical king.
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About Judith Arnopp
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A lifelong history enthusiast and avid reader, Judith holds a BA in English/Creative writing and an MA in Medieval Studies. She lives on the coast of West Wales where she writes both fiction and non-fiction. She is best known for her novels set in the Medieval and Tudor period, focusing on the perspective of historical women but recently she has been writing from the perspective of Henry VIII himself.
Judith is also a founder member of a re-enactment group called The Fyne Companye of Cambria which is when she began to experiment with sewing historical garments. She now makes clothes and accessories both for the group and others. She is not a professionally trained sewer but through trial, error and determination has learned how to make authentic looking, if not strictly historically accurate clothing. Her non-fiction book, How to Dress like a Tudor was published by Pen and Sword in 2023.
Contact Judith
Thank you so much for the lovely review, and for being part of Henry’s tour xx
Thank you so much for hosting Judith Arnopp and Henry on your fabulous blog today, and for your wonderful review of A Matter of Time. I’m delighted you enjoyed it.
Take care,
Cathie xx
The Coffee Pot Book Club