Litsy

Sovereign. C.J. Sansom (Revised) | C J Sansom

#ShardlakeSeriesBR #ShardlakeBR
#Sovereign

Thoughts, Shardlakians?
Henry VIII: https://shorturl.at/u2qTe
Catherine Howard: https://shorturl.at/75Mnp
Thomas Culpeper: https://shorturl.at/UBSXb
Richard Rich: https://shorturl.at/frVZU
Lady Rochford: https://shorturl.at/9WTOV

Daisey, PurpleyPumpkin, Texreader, AnneCecilie, Gissy, Centique, OutsmartYourShelf, jenniferw88, Deblovestoread, Librarybelle, batsy, Chrissyreadit, kwmg40, Mollyanna, curiouserandcurioser, dabbe, Fr3NcHtOaSt, RaeLovesToRead, bthegood, lil1inblue, PageShifter, LiseWorks, The_Book_Ninja, Karisimo, Cheryl_Russell_BookNotes, BookWrym

LiseWorks I always felt sorry for Henry as he really wasn't raised to be the king. I think his injury really changed his personality as medical Doctors of the time failed him. He was also surrounded by ambitious men who influenced him. 3mo

Mollyanna I find Lady Rocheford intriguing, especially wondering what her true motivations were in the Boleyn affair and after. Was she really against her husband or simply trying to survive as a woman in tumultuous times? 3mo

Karisimo Sansom definitely portrayed King Henry completely unlikeable, especially for how he treated his wives as disposable. Could he have had some redeeming quality in real life? It's hard to imagine. 3mo

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OutsmartYourShelf Henry VIII - really dislikeable in this book & I have a feeling that it may have been close to the truth.

Catherine Howard - felt sorry for her in that she didn't have much of a choice once Henry decided to marry her. Very foolish for keeping Culpepper & Dereham around her.

Lady Rochford - absolute snake in that she gave evidence about Anne Boleyn's supposed dalliances & yet facilitated Catherine Howard's. 3mo

kwmg40 Most of the real-life characters are shown to be far from admirable, and I suspect the portrayals are truer than ones I've seen of them in other historical fiction about the Tudor period. 3mo

lil1inblue @kwmg40 I agree! There was so much treachery and violence during this period, I cannot imagine that they were warm and fuzzy people. While the era intrigues me, I've never liked Henry VIII. He always seemed like the epitome of the patriarchy to me. 3mo

dabbe @kwmg40 🎯!!! 3mo

dabbe @lil1inblue And quite a few heads were lopped off during his reign. Yikes! 😱 3mo

AnneCecilie To get to the top and to stay at the top, it‘s seems that you had to be ruthless and protect yourself. 3mo

37 likes9 comments

dabbe

Sovereign. C.J. Sansom (Revised) | C J Sansom

#ShardlakeSeriesBR #ShardlakeBR
#Sovereign

Thoughts, Shardlakians?

Daisey, PurpleyPumpkin, Texreader, AnneCecilie, Gissy, Centique, OutsmartYourShelf, jenniferw88, Deblovestoread, Librarybelle, batsy, Chrissyreadit, kwmg40, Mollyanna, curiouserandcurioser, dabbe, Fr3NcHtOaSt, RaeLovesToRead, bthegood, lil1inblue, PageShifter, LiseWorks, The_Book_Ninja, Karisimo, Cheryl_Russell_BookNotes, BookWrym

LiseWorks I like Barak, we are getting to know him better but I'm leary of the girlfriend. The women in this era have to attach themselves to men in order to survive. Shardlake has to trust this man to get help solving this case. They make a good team 3mo

Mollyanna I‘ve enjoyed the evolution of their relationship. Although not equals they seem to be on similar footing. Barak is beginning to look to the future, something I don‘t think he did before meeting Shardlake. 3mo

OutsmartYourShelf In this book it seems to be a replay of Mark Poer (meeting a woman & reconsidering his future). I think that Shardlake & Barak are more friendly, even though Barak works for Shardlake. I think Barak needs to come up with a few more pithy comebacks rather than just “arseholes“ every time. 3mo

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dabbe @LiseWorks They do, don't they? I also am leery of Tamasin. She's quite forceful when she wants something, and right now, she wants Barak. 3mo

dabbe @Mollyanna And Barak has saved Shardlake's life more than once, and Shardlake is deeply indebted to him. I think he didn't like Tamasin at the beginning because he's jealous and doesn't want to lose his friendship with Barak. 3mo

dabbe @OutsmartYourShelf It seems mighty similar, doesn't it? Though for some reason I like Tamasin more--so far anyway. And yes. Let's get beyond “arsehole“ Barak! 😂 3mo

kwmg40 I liked very much the development of the relationship between Shardlake and Barak. We see Barak maturing in different ways, but he still has that brashness and toughness that make him such an interesting character. 3mo

lil1inblue Love the graphic for this one. 😉 I really enjoy the contrast of Barak and Shardlake's characters. They challenge each other, and that allows growth for both characters. I'm behind, but I am intrigued to see how Tamasin plays in the whole thing. I can see the seeds of conflict being planted... 3mo

dabbe @lil1inblue Like a love/bro triangle for sure! 🤩 3mo

AnneCecilie I like their relationship, but I hadn‘t thought about the similarities to Mark Poer @OutsmartYourShelf That‘s a good point. But Barak seems to react differently when he and Shardlake disagree 3mo

31 likes10 comments

dabbe

Sovereign. C.J. Sansom (Revised) | C J Sansom

#ShardlakeSeriesBR #ShardlakeBR
#Sovereign

Thoughts, Shardlakians?

Daisey, PurpleyPumpkin, Texreader, AnneCecilie, Gissy, Centique, OutsmartYourShelf, jenniferw88, Deblovestoread, Librarybelle, batsy, Chrissyreadit, kwmg40, Mollyanna, curiouserandcurioser, dabbe, Fr3NcHtOaSt, RaeLovesToRead, bthegood, lil1inblue, PageShifter, LiseWorks, The_Book_Ninja, Karisimo, Cheryl_Russell_BookNotes, BookWrym

LiseWorks Everyone is excited in a way about the king's presence but yet terrified by the king's presence . This is a perfect setting for murder 3mo

Mollyanna The removal from London and “civilized” society and to the land of the barbarians definitely amps things up. It has taken the entire court (and us) out of their comfort zone. 3mo

Karisimo I enjoyed the nuances brought in by the setting in a different region. I enjoyed learning more about the political dynamics too. I think the setting gave Shardlake and others a sense of not being in control- they didn't have their normal connections and colleagues. Even the weather was unsettling. 3mo

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OutsmartYourShelf I've been to York several times. It has a lot of small, narrow lanes & it would have been even worse then with how buildings were crammed in together & the smell. The arrival of the Progress & all the hangers-on adds to the feeling of Shardlake being hemmed in with nowhere to escape in the sense that he has been manoeuvred into this job & can't leave. There's also the fact that York was a focal point of dissent as discussed in the book. 3mo

dabbe @Liseworks @Mollyanna @Karisimo @OutsmartYourShelf WOWZA I'm blown away by all of your answers! Thanks for giving us a peak into York, @OutsmartYourShelf. 🤩🤩🤩

The gloomy, isolated city of York provides an ideal backdrop for the novel‘s atmosphere of secrecy and danger. The distance from London amplifies Shardlake‘s sense of isolation and vulnerability, making him feel surrounded by possible enemies. 3mo

kwmg40 I liked the setting and agree with the earlier comments here. What especially contributed to the sense of danger was the clash in values of the two groups -- the wealthy visitors from the south and the oppressed local people. The latter lacked power but had the numbers and an intense hatred of the southerners. 3mo

dabbe @kwmg40 And they almost won! 3mo

lil1inblue I agree with @kwmg40. The clash between the locals and the southerners really amps up the danger. Shardlake and the southerners are essentially foreigners, adding an element of the unknown to the suspense. 3mo

AnneCecilie Aren‘t they within city walls, so it‘s a closed space as well. With the chaos and all the extra people, it‘s the perfect place to hide within and hard to keep control of. The hanging bodies really shows what happens with people that goes against the king, and adds to the tension 3mo

28 likes9 comments

dabbe

Sovereign. C.J. Sansom (Revised) | C J Sansom

#ShardlakeSeriesBR #ShardlakeBR
#Sovereign

Thoughts, Shardlakians?

Daisey, PurpleyPumpkin, Texreader, AnneCecilie, Gissy, Centique, OutsmartYourShelf, jenniferw88, Deblovestoread, Librarybelle, batsy, Chrissyreadit, kwmg40, Mollyanna, curiouserandcurioser, dabbe, Fr3NcHtOaSt, RaeLovesToRead, bthegood, lil1inblue, PageShifter, LiseWorks, The_Book_Ninja, Karisimo, Cheryl_Russell_BookNotes, BookWrym

LiseWorks This poor man is in a bad situation. He wants to do the right thing but literally just can't. 3mo

Mollyanna I think Shardlake‘s reluctance shows how his recent past has a large influence on his emotions and thoughts. 3mo

Karisimo He wasn't really given a choice in the matter so that puts him on edge. 3mo

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OutsmartYourShelf He's caught between a rock & a hard place. He can't afford to offend Cranmer esp now his patron is no more, but I think he finds the secret mission part distasteful, knowing that the prisoner will face torture if Shardlake does his job & keeps him alive. 3mo

dabbe @Liseworks @Mollyanna @Karisimo @OutsmartYourShelf 🎯!!! Shardlake is one conflicted lawyer who is at the absolute mercy of Cranmer (and formerly Cromwell). It's literally his life or Broderick's in this secret mission, and he feels horrible at the task that is laid before him. He truly cares about everyone, and that makes us care even more about him and the no-win situations he ends up in. 3mo

kwmg40 I think his reluctance shows clearly the lack of freedom that many people experienced in that time period, where one can face execution for disagreeing with powerful people. 3mo

dabbe @kwmg40 And always having to watch your back--double problem for Shardlake. 3mo

lil1inblue Poor Shardlake - he just can't catch a break. 😂 He wants so badly to do the right thing, but is constantly at the mercy of these power hungry men! He is a man of grey areas and nuance stuck in a culture of black and white thinking. 3mo

AnneCecilie He‘s not there on a nice mission so there‘s that, but I also think he knows that Londoners aren‘t liked in the North. 3mo

27 likes9 comments

dabbe

Sovereign. C.J. Sansom (Revised) | C J Sansom

#ShardlakeSeriesBR #ShardlakeBR
#Sovereign (Part 1: Chapters 1-24)

Thoughts, Shardlakians?

Daisey, PurpleyPumpkin, Texreader, AnneCecilie, Gissy, Centique, OutsmartYourShelf, jenniferw88, Deblovestoread, Librarybelle, batsy, Chrissyreadit, kwmg40, Mollyanna, curiouserandcurioser, dabbe, Fr3NcHtOaSt, RaeLovesToRead, bthegood, lil1inblue, PageShifter, LiseWorks, The_Book_Ninja, Karisimo, Cheryl_Russell_BookNotes, BookWrym

LiseWorks I'm really starting to not like this Era. There are so many deaths. I feel sorry for King Henry's wives 3mo

Mollyanna I am enjoying this one. To me it‘s a little slower than Dark Fire, but still a great read. 3mo

Karisimo I'm still enjoying the series! It's similar to Dark Fire in the sense that Shardlake is burdened with knowledge of a dangerous secret. 3mo

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OutsmartYourShelf I like the history of the Court, monarchy etc but could do without all the animal cruelty & death. 3mo

dabbe @LiseWorks @Mollyanna @Karisimo @OutsmartYourShelf When I was fascinated with Tudor history as a kid, I always wished I'd lived then with all the big, beautiful dresses. Then I learned more as I got older and am THRILLED to live now. What a brutal time period to live in! And being at the literal whim of a demagogue king. 😳 Agree 💯 with all of your thoughts. 3mo

kwmg40 I had meant to read just the first half this month but couldn't stop reading once I started and finished the entire book. I really enjoyed this installment, even more than the first two books, probably because I'm finding the development of the characters interesting. I also liked learning more about the history, in this case, the Progress and the politics surrounding it. 3mo

dabbe @kwmg40 Agree 💯! I had never heard of the Northern Progress until reading this book. 3mo

lil1inblue I'm so behind in my reading - I think I'm only 20% in. But I'm enjoying it. I'm so glad Barak is still around - I love his character and his relationship with Shardlake! I'm also excited to learn more about the Northern Progress - I hadn't heard much about it previously. I am also really appreciating how Sansom doesn't romanticize the era, as movies and tv tend to do. 3mo

dabbe @lil1inblue He's starkly realistic, isn't he? I love Barak & Shardlake together, too! 🤩 3mo

AnneCecilie I love this book as well. I remembered the scene with the king from the first time I read, but I thought it was more towards the end. Sansom is great at showing how the Tudor era was, and it‘s hard for the working classes and full of intrigue among the nobility 3mo

29 likes10 comments

AlaMich

Sovereign | C. J. Sansom

FINALLY!!!!‘ A rainless morning warm enough to sit out and read. I‘m in the home stretch with Sovereign and enjoying some homemade cold brew...life is good! 😊
#patiomornings #finallyitssummer #sovereign

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