The Favored Queen: A Novel of Henry VIII's Third Wife

From The New York Times bestselling author of The Last Wife of Henry VIII *comes a powerful and moving novel about Jane Seymour, third wife of Henry VIII, who married him only days after the execution of Anne Boleyn and ultimately lost her own life in giving him the son he badly needed to guarantee the Tudor succession*Born into an ambitious noble family, young Jane Seymour is sent to Court as a Maid of Honor to Catherine of Aragon, Henry VIII’s aging queen. She is devoted to her mistress and watches with empathy as the calculating Anne Boleyn contrives to supplant her as queen. Anne’s single-minded intriguing threatens all who stand in her way; she does not hesitate to arrange the murder of a woman who knows a secret so dark that, if revealed, would make it impossible for the king to marry Anne.  Once Anne becomes queen, no one at court is safe, and Jane herself becomes the victim of Anne’s venomous rage when she suspects Jane has become the object of the king’s lust. Henry, fearing that Anne’s inability to give him a son is a sign of divine wrath, asks Jane to become his next queen. Deeply reluctant to embark on such a dangerous course, Jane must choose between her heart and her loyalty to the king.Acclaimed biographer and bestselling novelist Carolly Erickson weaves another of her irresistible historical entertainments about the queen who finally gave Henry VIII his longed for heir, set against the excitement and danger of the Tudor Court.ReviewPraise for THE FAVORED QUEEN“A delectable serving of Tudor dish.”—Kirkus ReviewsPraise for Carolly Erickson’s Historical Fiction“Suspenseful and detailed, the novel captures a dramatic moment in history and will sear you with sorrow for this doomed daughter of the last tsar.” —People magazine on The Tsarina’s Daughter“I read The Hidden Diary of Marie Antoinette in two days, and when I finished it, I re-read the final pages, as hungry for more as a child scraping the last crumbs of chocolate cake off her plate with her fingers.” —New York Times Book Review on The Hidden Diary of Marie Antoinette“Entertaining.” —USA Today on The Last Wife of Henry VIII“Steer Alison Weir and Philippa Gregory fans immediately to this satisfying read-alike . . . [an] historical tour de force.” —Booklist on The Memoirs of Mary Queen of Scots“An exquisitely realistic portrait of Tudor England. . . . compelling reading. . . . Historical fiction fans can’t get enough of the Tudors; this engaging story is a worthy addition to the genre.” —Library Journal on Rival to the Queen“A top-notch narrative . . . romantic and gripping.” —Publishers Weekly on The Tsarina’s Daughter“A fast-paced, lavishly detailed narrative.” —Kirkus Reviews on The Memoirs of Mary Queen of Scots“Fascinating . . . highly recommended.” —Library Journal (starred review) on The Hidden Diary of Marie AntionetteAbout the AuthorDistinguished historian Carolly Erickson is the author of Rival to the Queen, The Memoirs of Mary Queen of Scots, The First Elizabeth, The Hidden Life of Josephine, The Last Wife of Henry VIII, and many other prize-winning works of fiction and nonfiction. Her novel The Tsarina’s Daughter won the Romantic Times Reviewer's Choice Award for Best Historical Fiction. She lives in Hawaii.