Shadow King

The Life and Death of Henry VI

By: Lauren Johnson

Narrated by: Jennifer Ness

A thrilling new account of the tragic life and troubled times of Henry VI.

Firstborn son of a warrior father who defeated the French at Agincourt, Henry VI of the House Lancaster inherited the crown not only of England but also of France, at a time when Plantagenet dominance over the Valois dynasty was at its glorious height. And yet, by the time he was done to death in the Tower of London in 1471, France was lost, his throne had been seized by his rival, Edward IV of the House of York, and his kingdom had descended into the violent chaos of the Wars of the Roses.

Henry VI is perhaps the most troubled of English monarchs, a pious, gentle, well-intentioned man who was plagued by bouts of mental illness. In Shadow King, Lauren Johnson tells his remarkable and sometimes shocking story in a fast-paced and colourful narrative that captures both the poignancy of Henry's life and the tumultuous and bloody nature of the times in which he lived.

©2019 Lauren Johnson (P)2020 Head of Zeus

Critic reviews

“The best life of Henry VI now in print.” (Dan Jones)

“Vivid, absorbing and richly detailed.” (Helen Castor)

“A well-crafted moving account of a tragic reign.” (Michael Jones)

Very Informative!

I really enjoyed this book (my first by this author). It followed Henry VI from his birth to his death and thoroughly covered the events in between.

The narrator was great. She has a very clear and pleasant voice which I always appreciate in my audiobooks. There were moments where she seemed to put emphasis and excitement where it didn’t belong, but it wasn’t too distracting.