Brilliant follow on to Wolf Hall

Thoroughly enjoyed this book and can't wait for the final installment. We all know what will happen to Cromwell but with these two Hilary Mantel books you can't help but like him and empathise and sympathise with him and the difficulties he had being the chancellor of the Exchequer at the court of Henry V111.

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a sequel as good as the first

wonderful ❣️I was gripped from beginning to end as good as the 1st book perfect

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Riveting History brought alive

If you enjoyed Wolf Hall you must follow straight on with this. Cromwell's revenge against those who brought the Cardinal down and his disposing of Anne Bolyn to please Henry VIII are amazing to witness. Cronwell's loyalty to those who treat him well and are loyal to him is a very touching portrayal by Mantel. The sense that his personal grief following the deaths of his wife & 2 girls & the cardinal drives him to relentlessly pursue the King's wishes comes through strongly. Mantel & the excellent narrator truly brought this historical figure alive for me. I've listened to this & Wolf Hall several times & it never fails to please. I would thoroughly recommend

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Great Story

Brilliantly read by Simon Vance.
The only way to learn a bit of history.
My dogs got walked a lot while I listened to this.

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Times change people don't

I think this old adage is the reason this book, and Wolf Hall works so well. I genuinely felt as though I had spent a couple of weeks in the 16th century by the end of this book. The execution scene was one of the most poignant I had ever read.

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Wonderful!

Having found Wolf Hall quite hard going in print, I thought I'd try the audiobook version of its successor. I'm so glad I did - the narrator brings the whole thing to life beautifully. Even though you know what happens at the end, the tension is built brilliantly. The different characters come across well in both the writing and the reading, so it's all quite clear and easy to follow. The narrator makes Mantel's sometimes odd literary style seem natural. The court politics never become boring, but the reading is not over-dramatic or exuberant. Thoroughly recommended - I may go back and listen to Wolf Hall now, to see if I get on any better with it!

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Better than Woolf

Even though I enjoyed Woolf Hall I have to say that I found this book even more enjoyable. A real page turner. I can't wait for the 3 installment. From what I have read about the main characters in serious history texts I would say that this is exactly how I would imagine them. Hilary Mantel certainly has a soft spot for Thomas Cromwell. It is difficult not to take his side even when perhaps we should not.

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Fantastic

Loved the book when it came out and loved being able to listen to it in full.

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Brilliant

As usual, Mantel is perfect. I read Wolf Hall in book form and chose to listen to this mainly because I really wanted to read it but didn’t have the time to pick up the paperback but it’s well worth listening to. The performance is brilliant, and the book itself of course absolutely captivating.

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Engaging sequel

Mantel continues her “Cromwell Trilogy” with its present-tense heavy construction. Simon Vance performs the speaking roles exceedingly well.

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