Audiobook Review: Fatal Throne by Various Authors

There are certain parts of history that never fail to pull me in. I’m endlessly fascinated by the complex political layers that led to trench warfare in World War I. I love diving into the mysteries and innovations of ancient Egypt. Lately I’ve been all about the late 1800s and watching tons of period dramas! But the era that always captures my attention the most is the English Reformation and the reign of Henry VIII.

There’s something irresistible about the Tudor period. The drama, the religion, the power plays. And at the heart of it all are six women whose lives were forever shaped, and in many cases, ended, by the crown.

What I loved about Fatal Throne is that it does not just retell history. It reclaims it. Check out my thoughts below!

Fatal Throne: The Wives of Henry VIII Tell All

by Candace Fleming, M.T. Anderson, Stephanie Hemphill, Lisa Ann Sandell, Jennifer Donnelly, Linda Sue Park, Deborah Hopkinson
Published by: Schwartz & Wade
on May 1, 2018
Goodreads

The tragic lives of Henry VIII and his six wives are reimagined by seven acclaimed and bestselling authors in this riveting novel, perfect for fans of Wolf Hall and Netflix's The Crown.
He was King Henry VIII, a charismatic and extravagant ruler obsessed with both his power as king and with siring a male heir.
They were his queens--six ill-fated women, each bound for divorce, or beheading, or death.
Watch spellbound as each of Henry's wives attempts to survive their unpredictable king and his power-hungry court. See the sword flash as fiery Anne Boleyn is beheaded for adultery. Follow Jane Seymour as she rises from bullied court maiden to beloved queen, only to die after giving birth. Feel Catherine Howard's terror as old lovers resurface and whisper vicious rumors to Henry's influential advisors. Experience the heartache of mothers as they lose son after son, heir after heir.
Told in stirring first-person accounts, Fatal Throne is at once provocative and heartbreaking, an epic tale that is also an intimate look at the royalty of the most perilous times in English history.
Who's Who:
* M. T. Anderson - Henry VIII * Candace Fleming - Katharine of Aragon * Stephanie Hemphill - Anne Boleyn * Lisa Ann Sandell - Jane Seymour * Jennifer Donnelly - Anna of Cleves * Linda Sue Park - Catherine Howard * Deborah Hopkinson - Kateryn Parr

Review

This is a fictionalized account of Henry VIII’s six wives, written by a powerhouse team of YA authors including Candace Fleming, Stephanie Hemphill, M. T. Anderson, Lisa Ann Sandell, Jennifer Donnelly, Linda Sue Park, and Deborah Hopkinson. Each wife’s perspective is voiced by a different author, which gives the book a refreshing complexity and a vivid sense of voice. Even Henry gets his say.

Too often, we remember the wives of Henry VIII as a rhyme: divorced, beheaded, died, divorced, beheaded, survived (yes we did just see Six again recently haha). They become footnotes in his story, either vilified or erased. But in Fatal Throne, these women step forward with their own voices, their own motivations, and their own power.

What I appreciated most was how the book takes the qualities these women were often criticized for: ambition, boldness, stubbornness, desire, and reframes them as strengths. These aren’t passive queens. They are survivors, strategists, lovers, and thinkers. Each chapter made me rethink what I thought I knew about these women, especially figures like Anne Boleyn and Catherine Howard, who are often reduced to either temptress or victim.

The audiobook takes it to another level. With a full cast of narrators, each queen and Henry comes to life in a way that feels intimate and immediate. You can feel the urgency in their words, the weight of their choices, and the emotional toll of living in a world where being a woman, especially one married to a king, meant walking a very dangerous line.

Whether you’re a longtime Tudor fan or just looking for a rich, accessible entry point into historical fiction, Fatal Throne is a fantastic pick. It’s emotional without being melodramatic, empowering without rewriting the hard truths, and beautifully written from beginning to end.

Highly recommend for fans of historical fiction, powerful female voices, and anyone who’s ever wondered what really went on behind the royal curtain.