With The Cardinal, Alison Weir continues to expand her ambitious Tudor historical fiction series in ways that both surprise and enrich the larger narrative she’s been building. While I didn’t expect a novel centered on Thomas Wolsey to capture my interest, Weir’s storytelling once again proves she can take even the most polarizing historical figures and breathe vivid, human complexity into their stories.

What stands out most is how this novel reframes familiar Tudor events through the lens of someone who has often been sidelined or villainized in stories about Henry VIII and his queens. Seen from Wolsey’s perspective, we get a fresh and nuanced view of the politics, rivalries, and shifting loyalties that shaped the early Tudor court. It was especially engaging to revisit moments from The True Queen and other novels in the series—this time with context that challenges earlier interpretations.

While I don’t always agree with Weir’s historical interpretations, I respect her approach. She uses historical evidence as a foundation and builds thoughtful, plausible speculation around it. Her decision to explore Wolsey’s romantic relationship with Joan Larke, as well as his private pain over their children, added a layer of emotional complexity that made his ambition and contradictions feel real. He’s portrayed as proud, greedy, and deeply driven—but also generous, self-reflective, and unexpectedly vulnerable.

I particularly appreciated how the novel handled his relationship with Katherine of Aragon. In The True Queen, Katherine viewed Wolsey as one of her greatest adversaries, but The Cardinal reveals how that perception was shaped more by political necessity and misunderstanding than any actual betrayal. This mirrored a broader theme throughout the book: how everyone in Henry’s orbit blamed each other for their misfortunes, while rarely holding the king himself accountable. Even Wolsey ultimately views Anne Boleyn as the sole cause of his downfall, overlooking Henry’s own agency in the matter.

The novel also shines a light on the lives of lower-class individuals in Tudor England, giving texture and weight to a side of history that’s often overlooked in stories focused on royalty. This broader social scope grounds the novel and gives it a richness that complements the high-stakes political drama.

The Cardinal is another strong entry in Weir’s interconnected Tudor universe. It's thought-provoking, emotionally layered, and filled with sharp political insight. I’m more excited than ever to see what comes next—and still holding out hope for novels centered on Margaret Tudor and Mary Tudor, the French Queen.

Thank you to NetGalley and RBmedia for the audio ARC in exchange for an honest review.