The Kiss of the Concubine

A Story of Anne Boleyn

By: Judith Arnopp

Narrated by: Alex Lee

January 28, 1547. It is almost midnight, and the cream of English nobility hold their breath as King Henry VIII prepares to face his God. As the royal physicians wring their hands and Archbishop Cranmer gallops through the frigid night, two dispossessed princesses pray for their father's soul, and a boy, soon to be king, snivels into his velvet sleeve.

Time slows, and dread settles around the royal bed, the candles dip, and something stirs in the darkness...something, or someone, has come to tell the king it is time to pay his dues.

The Kiss of the Concubine is the story of Anne Boleyn, the second of Henry VIII's queens.

©2013 Judith Arnopp (P)2018 Judith Arnopp

Haunting

I was captivated by the beginning, with Anne visiting Henry at his end. I think it’s a beautiful and haunting way of bringing Anne to life. I felt like this story was a much kinder and realistic telling of her, which still included the things she was certainly guilty of, but acknowledging her goodness and not making her an evil witch with a b. I thoroughly enjoyed this version and I felt like it really grasped the love that Henry and Anne had. I have always been of the mind that Henry loved Anne up until the end, and this does a perfect job of explaining my feelings about it. The authors note has some particularly good thoughts on it, and how it contributes to his later cruelty and actions. A haunting and beautifully done piece of work. I’m running not walking to Judith’s Katherine Parr piece.

Incredibly enjoyable listen!

This author does a wonderful job bringing Anne to life. I couldn’t stop listening and finished this book in a day and a half. All Tudor fans will enjoy this one, especially the way it begins and ends- with Henry on his death bed... no spoilers of course.
Narration was excellent.

I’ve listened to every Tudor biography and much of the relevant historical fiction available on Audible. From a young age, I’ve been captivated story of Anne Boleyn. The nearly decade long love story that ends so quickly in her murder, only a few years after they finally were married. I don’t believe for a second that Anne was guilty of adultery, yet it has always haunted me that the king could behead her and so many of his own close friends on false evidence. With this in mind, the author note and conclusion at the end of the book was very intriguing, as she states that there’s new evidence which sheds light on this very issue.

I’m hoping that new histories and/or biographies will come out soon that sheds light on the new evidence!

Very well told!

This book is easy to listen to and full of facts about the times of Henry VIII.

Enjoyed

I enjoyed this take on the rise and fall of Ann Boleyn. Good narrator. Good story.

4.75 stars

I really enjoyed the writing of the story, it was paced pretty well for the majority of the book. really the only complaint I have is with the performance of the voice of Anne. Every time she would suddenly slip into a French accent I felt like it was out of place. The accent itself sounded good but I felt it was only added in the book so the narrator could either prove she could do it or because she had a habit of doing so naturally. Overall though I was happy with the whole experience.