Book Review: Had the Queen Lived

Had the Queen Lived: An Alternative History of Anne Boleyn
Author: Raven A. Nuckols
Published: Authorhouse, 2011
Genre: Alternative Historical Fiction
Rating: 3.5/5

Sometimes an individual wonders what life could have been like had an incident been different or if  he had made a different choice. Sometimes we wonder about the life of another person and how his or her life could have been different. As writers, we know that past events will shape the future for our characters. We know in this intricate world we call life that the present has been determined by events of the past. At times I have wondered how the world would be different had Elizabeth I not become queen of England.

In her novel Had the Queen Lived Raven A. Nuckols explores the what if in history. What would England be like had Anne Boleyn had not suffered a miscarriage in January of 1536?  Had this baby lived it is certain that Anne would have lived as well beyond her execution date of May 19, 1536. In this alternative historical fiction novel Nuckols weaves together a life of what could have been for Anne, Henry VIII and Elizabeth had the baby boy lived. In a world where is is not loved, despite the deliverance of a healthy heir, Anne pushes for the education of the poor. She pushes for her hold to remain on the king as she ages and pushes to bring England to glory for her son.

This novel is written in a biographical style and overall was well done in most aspects. At times, though, the author inserted lines such as "Anne felt" or "Anne believed" which distracted me from the author's chosen writing style. As it was meant to be a false biography the writer should have kept true to the form. It might have been in Nuckols' interest to have written her book in novel format with dialogue and scene as she felt the need to convey Anne's feeling and thoughts through statements rather than through imaginative accounts.

While this novel was rich with false history I felt the author was unable to convey the deep relationship Anne would have had with her children. At the end of the reading the novel I felt the sense of Anne's death still a stronger impact on Elizabeth versus had Anne lived. I even felt the relationship had would have had with a son skimped on the surface and left me wanting to experience the love she would have had for these children.

I would recommend this novel to a die hard Tudor fan looking to expand their Tudor reading genre. I am willing to try reading any future books from this author as well.  I just hope she is able to bring emotion to the page where vital relationships need to be experienced by her readers.