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Young Royals #3
Doomed Queen Anne
The third installment in the Young Royals series follows the life of Anne Boleyn, from her humble origins to her role as the Queen of England, during which her ambition and influence over her husband, King Henry VIII, led to her death. 50,000 first printing.
230 pages, Hardcover
First published October 1, 2002
About the author
Carolyn Meyer
108 books1,064 followersCarolyn Meyer is as versatile a writer as you will find. Along with historical fiction and realistic novels for young adults she has written nonfiction for young adults and books for younger readers on topics as diverse as the Amish, the Irish, Japanese, Yup'ik Eskimos, a rock band, rock tumbling, bread baking, and coconuts. And ten of her books have been chosen as Best Books for Young Adults by the American Library Association. In her most recent historical novels she has dealt with the young lives of Mary Tudor, Princess Elizabeth, Anastasia, and Isabel of Castilla, Spain.
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 257 reviews
June 21, 2007
This is the basic story of Anne Boleyn and how she weasled her way to the throne by marrying Henry VIII. It is a young adult novel so it's very easy to read and very easy to understand (history is not always easy to keep straight) but I would recommend it to anyone who is interested in the Tudor era, or if you just love historical fiction.
This is my first Carolyn Meyer novel though I have Duchessina on my to-read list. Meyer portrays Anne and her history as accurately as I am aware of. I have slightly more then basic knowledge about the Tudors but I am not at all an expert, though I would say that this is a wonderful novel, or introduction to anyone wondering about the story behind Anne Boleyn and everything that happened before she was beheaded.
She portrays Anne as the power hungry woman that she is thought to have been, yet, she gives her a human quality - which of course, Anne was human! Even after Anne convinces Henry to banish Queen Katharine of Aragon, and Cardinal Wolsey, you still kind of root for Anne. You want her to be Queen as much as she wants herself to be. And knowing ahead of time how it ends (it is common knowledge that she lost her head) kind of makes the novel bittersweet. Anne gets her wish, but at what cost? If she could have seen her future as Queen and if she had known what her fate would be, would she still have wanted the position as badly? Anne knows Henry's fickleness yet she believes she is safe from it.
I would say that Meyer is the Philippa Gregory for young adult readers.
This is my first Carolyn Meyer novel though I have Duchessina on my to-read list. Meyer portrays Anne and her history as accurately as I am aware of. I have slightly more then basic knowledge about the Tudors but I am not at all an expert, though I would say that this is a wonderful novel, or introduction to anyone wondering about the story behind Anne Boleyn and everything that happened before she was beheaded.
She portrays Anne as the power hungry woman that she is thought to have been, yet, she gives her a human quality - which of course, Anne was human! Even after Anne convinces Henry to banish Queen Katharine of Aragon, and Cardinal Wolsey, you still kind of root for Anne. You want her to be Queen as much as she wants herself to be. And knowing ahead of time how it ends (it is common knowledge that she lost her head) kind of makes the novel bittersweet. Anne gets her wish, but at what cost? If she could have seen her future as Queen and if she had known what her fate would be, would she still have wanted the position as badly? Anne knows Henry's fickleness yet she believes she is safe from it.
I would say that Meyer is the Philippa Gregory for young adult readers.
October 28, 2011
I will ALWAYS love this book. It's what started it all for me. I went on to read all sorts of novels about Anne Boleyn; I came to love her and recognize her as my idol. My idol, my hero.
Anyway, it is a young adult book, so of course it can't be littered with sex scenes and giant words and such, but it was very historically accurate. It got dates and years right to my knowledge; it was a thrilling overview and when I read it in the seventh grade I wasn't able to put it down.
I would recommend it as the first book for ANYONE that thinks they'll be interested in reading about her/starting in Tudor era novels, etc.
<3
Anyway, it is a young adult book, so of course it can't be littered with sex scenes and giant words and such, but it was very historically accurate. It got dates and years right to my knowledge; it was a thrilling overview and when I read it in the seventh grade I wasn't able to put it down.
I would recommend it as the first book for ANYONE that thinks they'll be interested in reading about her/starting in Tudor era novels, etc.
<3
December 26, 2008
Anne Boleyn spends a lot of time plotting ways to get Henry VIII to marry her. Her scheming pays off, and then she's executed.
A large part of the story can be summed up thusly:
Henry VIII: Anne, sleep with me!
Anne: No thanks. Besides, withholding sex is the only weapon in my arsenal, so you're gonna have to make do with cuddling and heavy petting.
It got tedious after a while.
It's hard to know what Meyer's intention is here, because sometimes she attempts to make Anne a sympathetic character, but most of the book deals with Anne's ambitious single-mindedness (I WANT TO BE THE QUEEN). It's hard to make a likable character out of that.
Of course, Anne Boleyn may not, in fact, have been likable in real life; everything I've read about her points in that direction. Meyer does try to explain Anne's motivation here--her family thinks she's worthless, other courtiers think she's ugly, Cardinal Wolsey is a jerk--but it's all speculative, and then, a lot of Anne's history was rewritten by her enemies after her death, so who really knows the truth?
A large part of the story can be summed up thusly:
Henry VIII: Anne, sleep with me!
Anne: No thanks. Besides, withholding sex is the only weapon in my arsenal, so you're gonna have to make do with cuddling and heavy petting.
It got tedious after a while.
It's hard to know what Meyer's intention is here, because sometimes she attempts to make Anne a sympathetic character, but most of the book deals with Anne's ambitious single-mindedness (I WANT TO BE THE QUEEN). It's hard to make a likable character out of that.
Of course, Anne Boleyn may not, in fact, have been likable in real life; everything I've read about her points in that direction. Meyer does try to explain Anne's motivation here--her family thinks she's worthless, other courtiers think she's ugly, Cardinal Wolsey is a jerk--but it's all speculative, and then, a lot of Anne's history was rewritten by her enemies after her death, so who really knows the truth?
May 7, 2024
Caroline Meyer writes historical fiction and YA novels. Doomed Queen Anne is the fictionalized autobiography of Anne Boleyn, Henry VIII's second wife, and mother of Queen Elizabeth I. Despite her historical status as a bewitching woman, she actually started life as the ugly sister of Mary, who was also Henry's lover. But Anne was smart, and learned her wiles while in service at the French court. There is a long-standing rumour that Anne had six fingers on one hand (repeated in this novel) but Google advises that may have been a falsehood propagated by a pro-Catholic writer.
Anne was dismissed by her ambitious father, and his attitude fuelled her own ambition to be queen. She kept Henry begging for her favours over many years, until at last he famously broke with the Catholic church in order to divorce Catherine and marry Anne. Their married happiness was short-lived since Anne was unable to produce a male heir (her 'useless' daughter grew up to be Elizabeth I). Henry's disappointment led to his affair with Jane Seymour, and ultimately, Anne's beheading.
Meyer's novel is written for young people and is a good introduction to Anne's tragic story. The overview is solid, even if some of the details are fictional, or, as in the case of the six fingers, debatable. For more advance readers, I recommend The Other Boleyn Girl by Philippa Gregory, a novel that really gets into the hard ball politics of life at Henry VIII's court. Anne Boleyn's story lives as an example of how women fared at a particular time in history, as well as for her significant impact on religious and royal history.
Anne was dismissed by her ambitious father, and his attitude fuelled her own ambition to be queen. She kept Henry begging for her favours over many years, until at last he famously broke with the Catholic church in order to divorce Catherine and marry Anne. Their married happiness was short-lived since Anne was unable to produce a male heir (her 'useless' daughter grew up to be Elizabeth I). Henry's disappointment led to his affair with Jane Seymour, and ultimately, Anne's beheading.
Meyer's novel is written for young people and is a good introduction to Anne's tragic story. The overview is solid, even if some of the details are fictional, or, as in the case of the six fingers, debatable. For more advance readers, I recommend The Other Boleyn Girl by Philippa Gregory, a novel that really gets into the hard ball politics of life at Henry VIII's court. Anne Boleyn's story lives as an example of how women fared at a particular time in history, as well as for her significant impact on religious and royal history.
June 11, 2010
I've always been a fan of history, which is way I picked this book up a few years ago when I was a sophomore in high school, despite the fact that it was aimed toward a younger age group. All I can say is that I'm glad I did. Though clearly for the mind of a young adult, its a very intriguing story. This is the frist book I ever read about Anne Boleyn, and it has inspired a huge adoration for the historical fiction. I'm actually a history major going into my senior year and hoping to eventually go to graduate school and become a professor. Though I loved history before reading this, it was the book that inspired me to learn more about the fascinating woman who's story it tells. Carolyn Meyer has the ability to evoke sympathy for whichever character she is writing about, no matter how awful history has been to said person. I highly recommend this to anyone under the age of 15...if you're looking for somethign a little more advance, try The Secret Diary of Anne Boleyn by Robin Maxwell.
March 17, 2018
I started this book but didn't finish it. I wanted to find out if it was suitable for a Christian school library. There was far to much immorality in it that I immediately rejected it. Children do not need to be exposed to such material.
December 28, 2009
This was an unpleasant story. The writing was good, and I like all the other Carolyn Meyer books I have read. The problem that bothered me was the subject matter. It is depressing to read about a girl that you know will be executed. Her personality as interpreted in the book is similar to Scarlett in Gone With the Wind. She is wilfull, selfish, prideful, hard-hearted, and cold. Meyer does a good job of making a case for WHY she is that way, and the main character gets my sympathy, but not any approval. I liked the 2 other books in this series better. "Mary, Bloody, Mary" and "Beware Princess Elizabeth" is more suitable for a young audience than this one which spends the bulk of the time discussing being King Henry's Mistresses. (Fortunately, it has minimal to zero detail except for mentioning when a mistress begets a child) What I appreciated the most about the book was learning more about the Court, King Henry, and Princess Mary from Anne's point of view.
March 15, 2018
A wonderful book for children, but the shoddy history and distinct lack of sympathy for Anne makes me wince.
September 25, 2024
It was a great book. The prose was solid, it felt grounded in the time period, and while it is of course speculative in some regards, I appreciate that the author clearly did her research and stayed accurate to what accounts are available. Anne Boleyn has always been one of my favorite figures in british royal history and this account felt both informative and gripping the entire way through. A lovely way to connect to the experience and learn a bit of what it may have been like to be in her shoes.
June 5, 2024
This was the perfect book to read after Mary Bloody Mary. Just perfect. This book had an effect on me, and also urged to read more of the series. I read the Beware, Princess Elizabeth too, and it was even better. I grew to hate Elizabeth more and more with every word of that book I read. But to be honest, Elizabeth was a very powerful character.
January 29, 2021
Very interesting, and historically accurate portrayal of King Henry Xlll, and his quest for a Son.
Much to the demise of his Queens.
Thankfully science has now proven that it is in fact the males who are responsible for whether a child is a boy or girl.
⭐⭐⭐⭐
Much to the demise of his Queens.
Thankfully science has now proven that it is in fact the males who are responsible for whether a child is a boy or girl.
⭐⭐⭐⭐
December 5, 2020
She deserved so much better.
October 3, 2024
in one of my tudor spirals, just ignore me
March 14, 2019
Not as good as I remembered! I read this book and the other Young Royal books (all the Tudor wives and princesses) when I was in 4th or 5th grade. I absolutely loved these books as a kid, but now that I'm an adult I didn't enjoy it as much.
Is it still good for a juvenile book? Totally! How Carolyn Meyer writes, she writes trusting the reader to know or look up what she means. I had to when I was younger with some words. (Unlike her most recent books like The Wild Queen where it seemed she was trying to explain everything in too much detail to where it removed from the story.) Most of what she wrote in terms of story is true to what happened to Anne Boleyn.
Of course, this is historical fiction for a reason. Not all of the story is true, such as the claim that Anne had an "extra finger/numb" on a hand. I don't necessarily believe it because some of the documentation about it doesn't seem accurate and not consistent. I highly suggest watching this video about my belief of it: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=WXeGS...
Also, for some reason I remembered a few things from the book that weren't actually described in the book, and that was disheartening. Maybe I remembered some details in the other books about her that I spaced out? Like I believed Meyer wrote Anne's last words before being beheaded, but I guess I remembered wrong.
More information about Anne Boleyn and Tudors in general that I love to watch on Youtube is The Anne Boleyn Files and Tudor Society: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCioS...
Is it still good for a juvenile book? Totally! How Carolyn Meyer writes, she writes trusting the reader to know or look up what she means. I had to when I was younger with some words. (Unlike her most recent books like The Wild Queen where it seemed she was trying to explain everything in too much detail to where it removed from the story.) Most of what she wrote in terms of story is true to what happened to Anne Boleyn.
Of course, this is historical fiction for a reason. Not all of the story is true, such as the claim that Anne had an "extra finger/numb" on a hand. I don't necessarily believe it because some of the documentation about it doesn't seem accurate and not consistent. I highly suggest watching this video about my belief of it: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=WXeGS...
Also, for some reason I remembered a few things from the book that weren't actually described in the book, and that was disheartening. Maybe I remembered some details in the other books about her that I spaced out? Like I believed Meyer wrote Anne's last words before being beheaded, but I guess I remembered wrong.
More information about Anne Boleyn and Tudors in general that I love to watch on Youtube is The Anne Boleyn Files and Tudor Society: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCioS...
August 29, 2016
Doomed Queen Anne by Carolyn Meyer is a book about Anne Bolyen and always being the ill-favored child between her brother, her sister and herself. Anne was never the favorite in her family. Growing up Anne had always attended the court, attending court meant always getting a chance to see or maybe even meet King Henry the Eighth. Anne made a mistake instead of bowing down to the king she stood, yelled his name, and waved. This embarrassed the family very much and poor Anne was sent away from her family and to different courts all around for many years. When Anne returned she caught the eye of King Henry and became one of his Mistresses. Over the years the king longed a son and Anne was to be married to the King as soon as King Henry had proven his previous marriage invalid and provide the King with a son to inherit the throne.
I honestly think this book was a bit confusing and they way it was written messed me up a little. It was still an okay book. The book had many things I did not see coming and many exciting parts that made me want to read on. I would recommend this book to anyone who can handle books like this and don’t stop reading halfway through.
I honestly think this book was a bit confusing and they way it was written messed me up a little. It was still an okay book. The book had many things I did not see coming and many exciting parts that made me want to read on. I would recommend this book to anyone who can handle books like this and don’t stop reading halfway through.
Read
April 25, 2012Michelle Kwait
Historical Fiction
(SPOILER ALERT)
Summary:
Meyer follows Anne Boleyn, at first the younger, ill-favored sister of the mistress of King Henry VIII, through her subsequent rise to royalty. Rather than follow the same fate as her sister, Anne insists upon marriage-- cleverly using her virginity as a shield, and her wits to keep Henry enthralled. King Henry defies counsellor, wife, and church to marry her, yet the marriage is not all it seems. After providing a girl, but not the son he seeks, Henry's love turns to cruelty, and Anne finds herself ironically locked in the Tower of London, where she spent the night before her coronation, now, she faces a traitor's death with a ready replacement for her throne.
Critique:
A good read, but the Anne in the book clashes with my previously established idea of Anne as manipulative, vengeful and in complete control. Rather it seems like Anne is a helpless victim, somewhat overwhelmed by it all. I personally didn't like this clash, but it does give a new perspective to Anne Boleyn.
Historical Fiction
(SPOILER ALERT)
Summary:
Meyer follows Anne Boleyn, at first the younger, ill-favored sister of the mistress of King Henry VIII, through her subsequent rise to royalty. Rather than follow the same fate as her sister, Anne insists upon marriage-- cleverly using her virginity as a shield, and her wits to keep Henry enthralled. King Henry defies counsellor, wife, and church to marry her, yet the marriage is not all it seems. After providing a girl, but not the son he seeks, Henry's love turns to cruelty, and Anne finds herself ironically locked in the Tower of London, where she spent the night before her coronation, now, she faces a traitor's death with a ready replacement for her throne.
Critique:
A good read, but the Anne in the book clashes with my previously established idea of Anne as manipulative, vengeful and in complete control. Rather it seems like Anne is a helpless victim, somewhat overwhelmed by it all. I personally didn't like this clash, but it does give a new perspective to Anne Boleyn.
July 18, 2014
Thank you to Carolyn Meyer for sticking up for Anne Boleyn! Some people hate her for "causing Henry to divorce Catherine" but the truth was that he was going to divorce Catherine regardless of Anne and Anne was the wife he happened to choose next. Anne was a clever, ambitious strong young woman who may have had a couple selfish moments but overall was a good person and certainly not the seductive man-eater some people portray her as. I love Carolyn Meyer's storytelling- she an ability to pack detail and good scenes and dialogue into a short novel. This was my favorite of her books alongside Cleopatra Confesses and I love the way she puts such a merry flavor into such a sad story. Also I like it when she features Anne's brother George because I love George Boleyn and think he is too overshadowed by his sisters (perhaps made almost infamous by The Other Boleyn Girl). And I like how Anne in this book cared for other poeple besides herself. I don't think she was as selfish as a lot of people say.
July 2, 2013
(Beware minor spoilers)
I think this is my favourite book from the Young Royals series. It revolved around the point of view of Anne Boleyn, and it's definitely really interesting. What I love about it is that even historical figures portrayed and viewed as 'evil' could seem so innocent in the book, especially Anne. I didn't know who she was, and I had no clue about the time period she was in, so by reading this book, I thought she was an innocent girl. Carolyn Meyer does an excellent job in expressing Anne's thoughts, and I was always cheering for Anne. She was one of those girls who was a 'nobody', but believed she could become a somebody if she tried hard enough. She even takes her difference to an advantage, which I love about. Usually girls our age, back then and now, want to 'fit in' and 'blend in the crowd'. No doubt, I admired Anne to a great extent.
I think this is my favourite book from the Young Royals series. It revolved around the point of view of Anne Boleyn, and it's definitely really interesting. What I love about it is that even historical figures portrayed and viewed as 'evil' could seem so innocent in the book, especially Anne. I didn't know who she was, and I had no clue about the time period she was in, so by reading this book, I thought she was an innocent girl. Carolyn Meyer does an excellent job in expressing Anne's thoughts, and I was always cheering for Anne. She was one of those girls who was a 'nobody', but believed she could become a somebody if she tried hard enough. She even takes her difference to an advantage, which I love about. Usually girls our age, back then and now, want to 'fit in' and 'blend in the crowd'. No doubt, I admired Anne to a great extent.
July 8, 2016
This book follows Anne Boleyn as she plans to gain the affection of King Henry and become the Queen.
Although I enjoy reading about this period and I liked this book I don't feel that it offered anything new. I've read a lot of Tudor fiction so I have seen the story of Anne many times before. This book didn't feel very different from other books that I have read.
In this novel Anne is shown to be extremely ambitious and as a result, I felt little sympathy for her. The book is quite short so everything happens quite quickly so we don't get to see a lot of details that you get in other historical fiction. Overall I liked this book and I would recommend it for those that want to get into the genre.
Although I enjoy reading about this period and I liked this book I don't feel that it offered anything new. I've read a lot of Tudor fiction so I have seen the story of Anne many times before. This book didn't feel very different from other books that I have read.
In this novel Anne is shown to be extremely ambitious and as a result, I felt little sympathy for her. The book is quite short so everything happens quite quickly so we don't get to see a lot of details that you get in other historical fiction. Overall I liked this book and I would recommend it for those that want to get into the genre.
October 17, 2010
Personally, I adored this book. I found it in a used book shop about a year and a half ago, and I was hooked as soon as I started to read it. I am a huge history buff, but when I picked this up I had no idea who Anne Boleyn was, and when I showed it to my mom she said I should defiantly read this book if it is about her. I must tell you, I couldn't put it down, and it remains as one of my most favorite books. From then on, I have kept my eyes open for every other book in the series which I mostly have, except for he first book-which I am still looking for. I defiantly recommend reading this book. After I read this, Anne Boleyn has become my most favorite queen in English hostory.
January 28, 2011
I have an obsession with Anne Boleyn. She is my favorite historical figure. She was a complex, vivacious woman who captivated Henry VIII and was instrumental in bringing about the protestant reformation ion England. For some reason if I see a book with her name in the title I think I have to buy it and read it.
This one sat on my shelf for awhile and it seemed like a quick read on a day I was tired. While it was ok, it was not good. While I know that historical fiction takes liberties with accuracy, still, I think this book was filled with too many misrepresentations.
Not recommended.
This one sat on my shelf for awhile and it seemed like a quick read on a day I was tired. While it was ok, it was not good. While I know that historical fiction takes liberties with accuracy, still, I think this book was filled with too many misrepresentations.
Not recommended.
March 17, 2012
In general, I enjoy historical fiction. I like it when I can find young adult historical fiction that catches my attention. The writing in this book is not the best I've ever read, but it is interesting and I think will hold the attention and interest of its intended audience.
One of my students told me that adults don't understand what "drama" is really like for teenagers because we've never experienced it. I think I'm going to guide her to this book so she can see that "drama" has been around for more years than she can imagine.
One of my students told me that adults don't understand what "drama" is really like for teenagers because we've never experienced it. I think I'm going to guide her to this book so she can see that "drama" has been around for more years than she can imagine.
September 21, 2019
Meyer has an extraordinary knack for writing about historical women in a way that makes them not only relatable, but also understandable to a young audience. That comes through most of all, I feel, in this book. Anne Boleyn was a very well known figure in history, and in many accounts she is portrayed as haughty and aloof. Meyer gives Anne a more human personality, you can see her as a person, a queen and as someone persecuted for something she did not do. Meyer gives voice, in unique ways each time, to the women she writes about.
May 2, 2009
It was good. I warmed up to Anne Boleyn a little bit more after reading this. But I noticed something about this...
I don't think Carolyn Meyer could get into the feelings of Anne Boleyn as well as she could the feeling of the girls in the other books. The whole book seemed a little rushed through... Like she couldn't connect with the character.
I don't think Carolyn Meyer could get into the feelings of Anne Boleyn as well as she could the feeling of the girls in the other books. The whole book seemed a little rushed through... Like she couldn't connect with the character.
October 1, 2010
Amazingly clean for a story about King Henry 8th, it's the point of view by Anne Boleyn his second wife. I loved this book, it was amazing and the author puts together a classic of classics. No swear words, very surprising but what's even more surprising then there is no swear words is no honey-room scene in the book unlike Cosette:a sequel of Les Miserables but I going to a different book, when you are reading about King Henry 8th please read this.
February 2, 2017
I'm very glad I have re-read this. I can see why it drew me in like it did as my first book I ever read on Anne Boleyn, although if I were to pick it up for the first time now I would have been very disappointed. I think it is a great book for starters on Anne and is still one of my top books for that reason.
September 4, 2015
This book made me love Anne. I was just a young kid, reading this for a book report for school and I totally connected with her. After I gave my report, the teacher pulled me aside and said, "But wasn't she a horrible person, you didn't mention that?!" I agreed with her because she was the teacher but from then on, she became my favorite wife and someone I look at with pity and pride.
November 23, 2015
I really enjoy learning about this time period. My ancestry line dates all the way back to Mary Boleyn sister of Anne. This author is very knowledgable. Anne Boleyn is a very determined woman to get her way. I did have sympathy for her towards the end. Her miscarriages and her stillborn and of course her execution on false charges brought on by the king wanting to marry yet another woman.
October 23, 2023
Despite the fact that I might be a bit biased since I love anything to do with Tudors, specifically Henry VIII (my favourite monarch of all time), this book fully deserves 5/5 stars! Carolyn's writing style is one I love, love, love! I read this around more than a year ago (as of writing this review) but I remember thinking everything was just perfect!
December 29, 2014
For a short, young adult book about Anne Boleyn, I found it to be intriguing, intense and straight to the point. It kept me very engaged as does everything I read about these women and their lives with Henry VIII. I very much recommend this book and the rest of the books in the Young Royals series.
Displaying 1 - 30 of 257 reviews