A review of ‘At the Mercy of the Queen’ by Anne Barnhill

Synopsis

At the Mercy of the Queen by Anne Barnhill

A sweeping tale of sexual seduction and intrigue at the court of Henry VIII, At the Mercy of the Queen is a rich and dramatic debut historical novel about Madge Shelton, cousin and lady-in-waiting to Anne Boleyn.

At the innocent age of fifteen, Lady Margaret Shelton arrives at the court of Henry VIII and quickly becomes the confidante of her cousin, Queen Anne Boleyn. But she soon finds herself drawn into the perilous web of Anne’s ambition.

Desperate to hold onto the king’s waning affection, Anne schemes to have him take her guileless young cousin as mistress, ensuring her husband’s new paramour will owe her loyalty to the queen. But Margaret has fallen deeply in love with a handsome young courtier. She is faced with a terrible dilemma: give herself to the king and betray the love of her life or refuse to become his mistress and jeopardize the life of the her cousin, Queen Anne.

At the Mercy of the Queen by Anne Barnhill is the story of Anne Boleyn told through the eyes of her young cousin, Madge Shelton. Madge arrives at court as a lady-in-waiting to Queen Anne Boleyn but is unfamiliar with the machinations of the Tudor court and relies heavily on the guidance of her mistress.

Madge soon becomes one of Anne’s most trusted confidantes and privy to the queen’s innermost thoughts and feelings. While striving to help Anne keep the love of her king – sacrificing much in the process – she finds herself desperately trying to fend off the unwanted passes of a very sly Sir Henry Norris.

As the king’s love for Anne fades, Madge’s love for the Duke of Suffolk’s illegitimate son, Arthur Brandon, intensifies. Although we know how the story ends for Anne and Henry, Madge and Arthur’s fate is uncertain and I found myself eagerly wishing for a happy ending.

Barnhill has done a wonderful job of weaving fact and fiction and for the most part, has stuck to the facts but where history falls silent, Barnhill has employed a certain amount of artistic license. The result, in my opinion, is a fresh view of these well-worn characters and a highly engaging and absorbing story.

I turned the last page feeling like I had seen another side to Anne, a much more human side. I was also left with a desire to learn more about Barnhill’s young heroine. Who was the real Madge Shelton?

At the Mercy of the Queen is a tale of love, loyalty and friendship and a must read for fans of historical fiction and romance alike.

(Read my interview with Anne Barnhill here.)