Henry VIII is often spoken about in terms of his wives, mistresses, and children. There was a lot more to this monarch that his appetite for women, though we know what a profound impact one particular relationship had on religion in England. This book discusses the last years of Henry VIII's life and the activities/legislation that he had part in during that time. That is often overlooked due to his romantic entanglements, as well as his staggering weight and illnesses in the last part of his life.

The description of this book said that it read like a nail-biting suspense...not for me. It did give a lot of insight into the ruthlessness of Henry VIII and how he went after his enemies. Court life was also presented in a more vicious and intriguing light than what I am typically confronted with, which I did enjoy. There are always people in proximity to leaders who are up to shady doings to further their own interests, and this certainly proved that about some of them. I did think the book was a bit one-sided, because it really portrayed Henry VIII as an absolute evil monster. While he did a lot of questionable and downright terrible things, I'm not sure that I would take it quite that far. The research was well done, and the book was well-written, but I found it underwhelming compared to the description and other highly praising reviews.