• The Boleyn King

  • Boleyn Trilogy, Book 1
  • By: Laura Andersen
  • Narrated by: Simon Vance
  • Length: 9 hrs and 54 mins
  • 4.1 out of 5 stars (330 ratings)

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The Boleyn King  By  cover art

The Boleyn King

By: Laura Andersen
Narrated by: Simon Vance
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Publisher's summary

Perfect for fans of Philippa Gregory, Alison Weir, and Showtime’s The Tudors, The Boleyn King is the first book in an enthralling trilogy that dares to imagine: What if Anne Boleyn had actually given Henry VIII a son who grew up to be king?

Just seventeen years old, Henry IX, known as William, is a king bound by the restraints of the regency yet anxious to prove himself. With the French threatening battle and the Catholics sowing the seeds of rebellion at home, William trusts only three people: his older sister Elizabeth; his best friend and loyal counselor, Dominic; and Minuette, a young orphan raised as a royal ward by William’s mother, Anne Boleyn.

Against a tide of secrets, betrayal, and murder, William finds himself fighting for the very soul of his kingdom. Then, when he and Dominic both fall in love with Minuette, romantic obsession looms over a new generation of Tudors. One among them will pay the price for a king’s desire, as a shocking twist of fate changes England’s fortunes forever.

©2013 Laura Andersen (P)2014 Audible, Inc.

What listeners say about The Boleyn King

Average customer ratings
Overall
  • 4 out of 5 stars
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  • Overall
    2 out of 5 stars
  • Performance
    3 out of 5 stars
  • Story
    1 out of 5 stars

Great idea, bad story

Any additional comments?

This was a terrific idea; I've often wondered how England's history might have been different if Ann had not been executed, and had produced a living son. Aside from the fact that Elizabeth may never have ruled, who knows how different things might have been. Unfortunately, this three book series offered little in the answers to those questions.

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12 people found this helpful

  • Overall
    5 out of 5 stars
  • Performance
    5 out of 5 stars
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    5 out of 5 stars

Great beginning!!

Very compelling alternate theory of history. I love speculating in "What if...." scenarios. Can't wait to read the next installment.

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5 people found this helpful

  • Overall
    3 out of 5 stars
  • Performance
    2 out of 5 stars
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    3 out of 5 stars

Was ok

Interesting concept, story was diverting but the narrator had a 'James T Kirk' quality to done of his sentences which I found distracting

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4 people found this helpful

  • Overall
    2 out of 5 stars
  • Performance
    3 out of 5 stars
  • Story
    2 out of 5 stars

Weird Twist on History

Would you try another book from Laura Andersen and/or Simon Vance?

I didn't care for it. The reader is great but the story is so far off of real history that it was hard for me to get into the story.

Has The Boleyn King turned you off from other books in this genre?

No. I love this genre, I think that's why I am having so much trouble with this particular story. It changes history.

What did you like about the performance? What did you dislike?

Performance was not the problem, the reader Simon Vance was great.

If you could play editor, what scene or scenes would you have cut from The Boleyn King?

I don't know, I could not grasp the story at all.

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4 people found this helpful

  • Overall
    2 out of 5 stars
  • Performance
    5 out of 5 stars
  • Story
    2 out of 5 stars

not great...or even decent

I've listened to the entire series. I normally enjoy historical fiction. But this series just didn't do it for me.

I did, however, find the narrator to be fabulous. I think I could listen to him read the phonebook. Without Simon Vance, I never would have gotten through.

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4 people found this helpful

  • Overall
    4 out of 5 stars
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    4 out of 5 stars
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    4 out of 5 stars

Great "what if" story

I enjoyed this book, just the right amount of love, mystery, and royals.
Looking forward to some more!

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2 people found this helpful

  • Overall
    3 out of 5 stars
  • Performance
    4 out of 5 stars
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    3 out of 5 stars

Interesting premis but...

I don't think I will be reading the rest of the trilogy. I love the Henry the 8th stories and Queen Anne is one of my favorite historical subjects. It just was not as good as I hoped it would have been.

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2 people found this helpful

  • Overall
    5 out of 5 stars

Very enjoyable

I enjoyed the whole package the story and the narration. I would definitely recommend to anyone who loves Historical Romance.

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1 person found this helpful

  • Overall
    5 out of 5 stars
  • Performance
    5 out of 5 stars
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    5 out of 5 stars

Amazing What-If with a GREAT narration

This book is fantastic. Honestly, I’ve already read the entire series and was excited to see an audiobook of the series, though I’ll admit I was nervous about male narration at first. I always imagined it would be someone reading for Minuette as a narrator. But honestly this narrator was phenomenal and he did a wonderful job of catching the air of the series. Though the next two books get much darker, I am beyond ready for the narration!

As for the book, what better thing? Honestly, I LOVE retellings and alternate histories. The idea that Anne’s final baby lived and was a boy is intoxicating, isn’t it? I do wish we had seen more of Anne’s years with Henry after giving birth to William. If the author decided to write on that, possibly a reconciliation with Mary Stafford, her sister, or tales between Anne and Minuette’s mother, I’d adore that. So if you’re here looking for a tale of Anne if she’d not been executed, you won’t find one. But the tale that is told is incredibly intoxicating. Give it a go and have fun while doing so!

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  • Overall
    5 out of 5 stars
  • Performance
    5 out of 5 stars
  • Story
    5 out of 5 stars

A fabulous alternate history

if you're a lover of tudor historical fiction, this will have all the intrigue, secrets and passion that was the tenet of Tudor era mysteries.

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