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Product Description
Product Description
VIII is the story of Hal: a young, handsome, gifted warrior, who believes he has been chosen to lead his people. But he is plagued by the ghosts of his family's violent past and, once he rises to power, he turns to murder and rapacious cruelty. He is Henry VIII. The Tudors have always captured the popular imagination, but in VIII, Henry is presented fresh for a new generation. H M Castor does for Henry what Hilary Mantel did for Thomas Cromwell - VIII is Wolf Hall for the teen and crossover market. The contemporary, original writing style will have broad appeal and VIII brings the tension of a psychological thriller and the eeriness of a ghost story to historical fiction.
About the Author
H. M. Castor has been obsessed with the Tudors since primary school. She studied Tudor History at Cambridge University, and despite spending time after that doing a variety of jobs - including teaching English in Prague. The Tudors have never lost their hold on her. In particular she has been fascinated by the story of Henry VIII. I've read a great deal about his life,A" she says, but still a huge question has remained: just how does this extraordinary boy become one of the most villainous kings in British history? He is hugely talented, has astonishing warrior skills, and is said to be a model of virtue. So what turns him into a monster? In writing VIII I've set out to answer that question.A" H. M. Castor has written many younger fiction and non fiction titles for HarperCollins, A&C Black, Carlton, Puffin and Usborne. VIII is her first novel for teenagers. She lives in Bristol with her husband and two daughters.
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Customer Reviews
Most Helpful Customer Reviews
9 of 9 people found the following review helpful
Format:Hardcover
I have never really been a huge fan of historical fiction. Although a lot of it, surprisingly, is written by real historians, it tends not to be very convincing. This however is different. Harriett is a first-class historian her sister Helen is too )and the amount of research she did for the novel really shines through. Not just along historical lines either...she consulted psychoanalysts and in particular the Jungian analyst Matthew Harwood, as well as clothing experts, martial arts gurus,experts on the Italian Wars and anything else you can think of. So the first criterion for an historical novel - that it is believable - is met in spades.
But it is, as other reviwers have said, a real page turner. You just don't want to put it down. The unique view point from which it is written, inside Henry's own head, helps it enormously and gives an immediacy which is brilliant. Breathtaking. And it really does give us an opportunity to re-assess what we think of Henry, and take a different view on him than that provided by the portraits with which we are so familiar...the ogre who thinks nothing of executing wives or friends, or the gross, obese tyrant totally self-centred, vain and dictatorial.
It is without doubt the best book I have read this year, the most exciting, the most thoughtful, and one I would recommend without resrvation to teens or adults. Do read it.
But it is, as other reviwers have said, a real page turner. You just don't want to put it down. The unique view point from which it is written, inside Henry's own head, helps it enormously and gives an immediacy which is brilliant. Breathtaking. And it really does give us an opportunity to re-assess what we think of Henry, and take a different view on him than that provided by the portraits with which we are so familiar...the ogre who thinks nothing of executing wives or friends, or the gross, obese tyrant totally self-centred, vain and dictatorial.
It is without doubt the best book I have read this year, the most exciting, the most thoughtful, and one I would recommend without resrvation to teens or adults. Do read it.
5 of 5 people found the following review helpful
Format:Hardcover
Just to add to the Mantel debate....I much preferred VIII to Wolf Hall which left me cold as I wasn't interested enough in the main character. In contrast, I found this book compelling and exciting. I thought the young Henry seemed real and I completely sympathised with his relationship with his father and the imaginary demons in his life. Moreover, the detail in VIII: the sights, sounds, smells and textures made reading the book, the closest I've come to time travel.
3 of 3 people found the following review helpful
Format:Hardcover
I love this book. Final.
The story is told through Henry's eyes.
Destined for greatness... Destroyed by Demons... There was nothing anybody could do to stop Harriet Castor writing this novel. It was also inevitable that Henry VII - who would become the most famous British icon in history - would become the monster who chopped off heads by the thousands! His seeds of this future were all in his childhood - so how come no one else has thought about it. Harriet has. And in great detail she describes the torture that Henry went through. Constantly competing with Arthur - Royal-Highness-to-be - and frowned upon by his father.
Henry was the great spare who was never meant to hold the crown...
Or become a monster.
Fantastic book, extremely well written and I'd give it 10 stars if I could (but I can't).
Go H. M. Castor!!!! ;D
The story is told through Henry's eyes.
Destined for greatness... Destroyed by Demons... There was nothing anybody could do to stop Harriet Castor writing this novel. It was also inevitable that Henry VII - who would become the most famous British icon in history - would become the monster who chopped off heads by the thousands! His seeds of this future were all in his childhood - so how come no one else has thought about it. Harriet has. And in great detail she describes the torture that Henry went through. Constantly competing with Arthur - Royal-Highness-to-be - and frowned upon by his father.
Henry was the great spare who was never meant to hold the crown...
Or become a monster.
Fantastic book, extremely well written and I'd give it 10 stars if I could (but I can't).
Go H. M. Castor!!!! ;D
Most Recent Customer Reviews
Content, not category, please.
So. To start, I'm fairly young - think sixth former - and what you could call a relative newcomer to historical fiction (I was always very - uh - hesitant about testing its... Read more
Published 1 month ago by Thesarahus
VIII H M Castor
Having read some of the reviews, most points have been stated. I wouldn't call it 'a rushed' book at all, as does one critic. Read more
Published 4 months ago by Mrs. Florence Wilson
Awesome YA historical novel
VII was the unforgettable account of one of our countries greatest monarch. Henry Tudor.
We are introduced to likeable child Hal, second son of the king of England. Read more
We are introduced to likeable child Hal, second son of the king of England. Read more
Published 4 months ago by Pamela Roach
Brilliant and Unputdownable
A brilliant, intense, compulsive read - one of the most gripping and emotionally powerful books I've read. Read more
Published 5 months ago by Stephanie Samphire
Fresh View of an Iconic Figure
Anyone who writes about Henry VIII invites comparison with "Wolf Hall" and its many predecessors; it's a real challenge to look afresh at such an iconic figure. Read more
Published 6 months ago by Sensible Cat
Wish this book had existed when I was learning history at school!
This readable and enjoyable account of Henry VIII's life had me gripped from the very first line. Concentrating on the younger Henry, and never getting bogged down in historical... Read more
Published 6 months ago by Reclusive Muse
A descriptive and historical novel
A descriptive and historical novel that not only kept me wanting to read it but it also taught me a lot more about one of our most famous monarchs. Read more
Published 6 months ago by beckvalleybooks
VIII HMCastor
Fantastic! Exciting and enjoyable!
VIII is a brilliant book suitable for ages of roughly 13+.... Read more
VIII is a brilliant book suitable for ages of roughly 13+.... Read more
Published 6 months ago by Rebecca
Pretty Good
I came too your author talk on Thursday in the afternoon and found it really moving. It helped me to write the next 4 chapters of my novel from up in the woods, so now I will try... Read more
Published 6 months ago by Kathleen Atherton
The life story of Henry VIII
Destined for greatness, tormented by demons..
Hal goes through life tormented by apparitions that nobody but him sees. Read more
Hal goes through life tormented by apparitions that nobody but him sees. Read more
Published 6 months ago by Hannah
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