Sunday 25 May 2014

Readers' feedback for Kings and Queens

I compiled this list of review excerpts when Kings and Queens had been out for just a few months, because I was so overjoyed that readers liked it; I was nervous about how it would be received.  I was also thrilled to bits that Last Child won two online book blog awards at the end of 2015 ~ thank you so much, everyone who voted for it!

Both titles are FREE on Amazon from Sept 9th - 12th, 2018.

Meet charismatic property developer Harry Lanchester, from the point of view of the six women in his life.  A contemporary drama spanning the years 1971~2007, Kings and Queens is the story of Henry VIII and his six wives, 450 years on. 



"This is not a simple Kindle-Indy published by an amateur, but a professional work that heralds the arrival of a serious novelist who can share a table with the very best, both past and present."

"Kings and Queens is so different, so good, I had to force myself to slow down and spend a few days with it."

"KINGS AND QUEENS is a superior novel filled with emotion and suspense. It is based on and informed by historical fact, but it doesn't allow those facts to overwhelm the plot or the reader. I'm glad to hear that Tyler's planning a sequel."




"But we know the plot - how can it hold our attention? you might ask. Yes, we've all had the basic story drummed into us at school ("divorced, beheaded, died, divorced, beheaded, outlived" as the version I remember), but there are sufficient variations to keep the plot engaging, and lots of small in-jokes with names and places that liven it up, too. It was interesting to see how each wife was despatched, too - no beheadings here!"


"Re-telling a well-known and well-loved tale and transposing it from the 16th century to the modern day is a courageous thing to do. But it is done with consummate skill and works incredibly well. I loved the author’s choices of names too – what fun!"


"The characters of the different wives are cleverly conveyed through their own words and perceptions, effortlessly showing you which of them is wily and clever, which are vacuous and naïve, even though none of them are truly evil, realistic characterisation, so true to life."


"the blog post about Henry VIII was really helpful. I kept flicking back to that while reading the story to see the parallels and think it made it more enjoyable."

"Crystal clear, economical writing with almost no digression ... for a novel of 120,000 words, it feels much lighter and much more accessible than that ... fans of history will LOVE working out how Terry gets round the beheadings, the eviscerations and the executions, all those Tudor affectations, and I laughed out loud how she solved the "Anne of Cleves" problem (a sequence which is possibly my favourite in the book)"





"she did her usual masterful job of making mundane details of peoples' lives utterly fascinating."


"I felt like I should dislike sexist and chauvinistic Harry but I couldn’t help but fall in love with the character. A true testament to Terry’s wonderful story telling."

"This is a very clever book from someone who knows her Tudor history in great depth. As a student of the 1485-1603 period, I was amazed by how seamlessly Tyler put the real events of history into the 20th century setting of the life of Henry VIII."


"Without actually executing or burning them at the stake, Harry Lanchester kills his loved ones and loyal followers as surely as Henry did - and yet somehow, the reader feels sorry for him - as the history scholar does for Henry. A misguided, almost childlike character who drinks and eats to excess, but believes he is invincible."

As a reader and a historian, I am incredibly picky when it comes to history-based fiction. Presented with a modern day spin on one of my favourite periods therefore, I was either going to love it or hate it.  What can I say? In Kings and Queens, Terry Tyler achieves the impossible – Henry VIII, his wives and his associates are recreated in dazzling technicolour, their voices coming through loud and clear on every compelling page.


"It was strange that although you knew the story that this was based on and therefore what was going to happen Tyler still managed to throw in a few surprises which added to its originality."

"This is a very clever book from someone who knows her Tudor history in great depth... For those of us who know our Tudor history, the read becomes not what but how Tyler will write the stories. She does it with breathtaking skill and ingenuity."



Hever Castle, the Boleyn's family seat

"Terry Tyler may well have just invented a brand new way to educate. I was never enthralled by history in school. But while reading this novel, I found myself pausing to look back at the equivalent piece of history in order to compare the stories."



"she did a tremendous job of making the story believable, and I can assure you that she got all the facts correct and in the right order.
Besides that, and most importantly, it is a tremendous read, written with Terry Tyler’s inimitable style."

I can't understand why this author hasn't been snapped up by a big publisher as her writing is far better & more original than some authors who have been published in the 'real world'


Well she's only gone and done it again hasn't she??!! I bloody love it!


“Kings and Queens” is the perfect read for anyone captured by the drama of almost 500 years past, as well as those who simply appreciate the battles that can rage in ones’ own heart.


Kings And Queens ~ all the drama and intrigue of the Tudor Court, in modern times ~ here!  (or here, if non-UK!)






7 comments:

  1. Those are impressive comments! Congratulations!

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  2. Congrats, Terry, on telling an old story in a new context. I'm looking forward to reading!

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  3. Fantastic, TT. These are a real testament to how well they word and what stonking good books they are!

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  4. Sorry, that was meant to be "how well they work"....

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