Publisher's Weekly Review
Known throughout history as the third wife of Henry VIII and the only one to give birth to his son, Edward, Jane Seymour begins as a servant to Queen Catherine, and later serves Queen Anne Boleyn. She observes Catherine being set aside and Anne's eventual fall from grace, and sees that nothing will stop Anne as she tries to get her way. In this historical romance, Anne Boleyn is a vicious caricature-conniving, manipulative, psychotic, and prone to wild rages, while Henry is consumed with his desire for a son. Heroine Jane doesn't seem to have much agency, which unfortunately makes her a dull protagonist. While Erickson's (The Last Wife of Henry VIII) prose is competent, there are dozens of more interesting Tudor historicals to attract readers' attention. (Oct.) © Copyright PWxyz, LLC. All rights reserved.
Kirkus Review
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Booklist Review
Jane Seymour, third wife of Henry VIII and the one he reportedly loved the best, takes the stage in this self-described historical entertainment. As a noblewoman in the early sixteenth century, Jane serves as maid of honor first to pious, devoted Catherine of Aragon and later to Anne Boleyn, whose petulant and proud nature endears her to few members of the harsh royal court. Jane's lively first-person narrative follows her transformation from passive observer to active participant in the marital stakes. Her family's immoral conduct and her failed engagement to a family friend test her resolve, yet she survives and emerges triumphant as one of the king's closest confidants. One well-crafted subplot involves the Nun of Kent, a prophetess who curses Henry's marriage to Queen Anne. As Erickson alludes in her author's note, significant parts of the story are wholly invented. One of these, Jane's affair with a handsome French glazier, isn't exactly believable, either. Overall, this is a light diversion likely to appeal to fans of The Tudors.--Johnson, Sarah Copyright 2010 Booklist
Library Journal Review
Erickson's (Rival to the Queen) seventh historical novel tackles Jane Seymour, the third wife of King Henry VIII and the only one of his six wives to provide him with a male heir. It opens with Jane as a maid of honor in Queen Catherine's household and follows the ascent and descent of Anne Boleyn and then herself. The book, however, presents a side of Queen Jane which, if true, is quite shocking. It seems that Jane had lovers and was a confidante of the king long before they married. For many Tudor devotees, the inclusion of these events in the plot (which is overall true to the history of Catherine and Anne's queenships) is enough to warrant striking the word "historical" from the work. To her credit, Erickson, the author of 18 nonfiction books in addition to her "historical entertainments," warns of the book's liberties on the last page, but this is still not enough to make its contents believable. Verdict Erickson's large following requires buying a copy of The Favored Queen, but don't be surprised when it gathers dust after six months. [See Prepub Alert, 3/28/11.]-Audrey M. Jones, Arlington, VA (c) Copyright 2011. Library Journals LLC, a wholly owned subsidiary of Media Source, Inc. No redistribution permitted.
