The Favored Queen

Erickson's () seventh historical novel tackles Jane Seymour, the third wife of King Henry VIII and the only one of his six wives to provide him with a male heir. It opens with Jane as a maid of honor in Queen Catherine's household and follows the ascent and descent of Anne Boleyn and then herself. The book, however, presents a side of Queen Jane which, if true, is quite shocking. It seems that Jane had lovers and was a confidante of the king long before they married. For many Tudor devotees, the inclusion of these events in the plot (which is overall true to the history of Catherine and Anne's queenships) is enough to warrant striking the word "historical" from the work. To her credit, Erickson, the author of 18 nonfiction books in addition to her "historical entertainments," warns of the book's liberties on the last page, but this is still not enough to make its contents believable. Erickson's large following requires buying a copy of , but don't be surprised when it gathers dust after six months. [See Prepub Alert, 3/28/11.]—Audrey M. Jones, Arlington, VA

Having published The Last Wife of Henry VIII (among other works, both fiction and nonfiction, about female royalty), Erickson backtracks to tell the story of Jane Seymour, third wife of Henry VIII, who married him somewhat reluctantly days after Anne Boleyn's unceremonious beheading and died giving birth to the male heir he so wanted. Erickson is loved by the historical fiction set; buy accordingly.