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Sovereign (The Shardlake Series) [Paperback]

C. J. Sansom (Author)

4.6 out of 5 stars See all reviews (308 customer reviews)

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Book Description

Release Date: 16 Mar 2007 | Series: The Shardlake Series (Book 3)

Autumn, 1541. King Henry VIII has set out on a spectacular Progress to the North to attend an extravagant submission of his rebellious subjects in York.

Already in the city are lawyer Matthew Shardlake and his assistant Jack Barak. As well as assisting with legal work processing petitions to the King, Shardlake has reluctantly undertaken a special mission – to ensure the welfare of an important but dangerous conspirator being returned to London for interrogation.

But the murder of a local glazier involves Shardlake in deeper mysteries, connected not only to the prisoner in York Castle but to the royal family itself. And when Shardlake and Barak stumble upon a cache of secret papers which could threaten the Tudor throne, a chain of events unfolds that will lead Shardlake facing the most terrifying fate of the age . . .

'Sansom is a master storyteller' Guardian

'So compulsive that, until you reach its final page, you’ll have to be almost physically prised away from it' Sunday Times

'Deeper, stronger and subtler than The Name of the Rose' Independent on Sunday

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Autumn, 1541. King Henry VIII has set out on a spectacular Progress to the North to attend an extravagant submission of his rebellious subjects in York.

'Sansom is a master storyteller' Guardian

'So compulsive that, until you reach its final page, you’ll have to be almost physically prised away from it' Sunday Times

'Deeper, stronger and subtler than The Name of the Rose' Independent on Sunday

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Product details

Paperback: 662 pages
Publisher: Pan; New edition edition (16 Mar 2007)
Language: English
ISBN-10: 0330436082
ISBN-13: 978-0330436083
Product Dimensions: 13 x 19.7 cm

Average Customer Review: 4.6 out of 5 stars See all reviews (308 customer reviews)

Amazon Bestsellers Rank: 2,569 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

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More About the Author

› Visit Amazon's C. J. Sansom Page

C. J. Sansom was educated at Birmingham University, where he took a BA and then a PhD in history. After working in a variety of jobs, he retrained as a solicitor and practised in Sussex, until becoming a full-time writer. He lives in Sussex.

Product Description

Review

'A parchment turner, and a regal one at that.' -- Sunday Times

'Between them, Sansom and Starkey have the 16th century licked.' -- Independent

Book Description

Autumn, 1541. King Henry VIII has set out on a spectacular Progress to the North to attend an extravagant submission of his rebellious subjects in York. Already in the city are lawyer Matthew Shardlake and his assistant Jack Barak. As well as assisting with legal work processing petitions to the King, Shardlake has reluctantly undertaken a special mission – to ensure the welfare of an important but dangerous conspirator being returned to London for interrogation. But the murder of a local glazier involves Shardlake in deeper mysteries, connected not only to the prisoner in York Castle but to the royal family itself. And when Shardlake and Barak stumble upon a cache of secret papers which could threaten the Tudor throne, a chain of events unfolds that will lead Shardlake facing the most terrifying fate of the age . . . 'Sansom is a master storyteller' Guardian 'So compulsive that, until you reach its final page, you’ll have to be almost physically prised away from it' Sunday Times 'Deeper, stronger and subtler than The Name of the Rose' Independent on Sunday

See all Product Description

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Customer Reviews

4.6 out of 5 stars

4.6 out of 5 stars

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Most Helpful Customer Reviews

180 of 184 people found the following review helpful

4.0 out of 5 stars God's nails - a third success! 22 Mar 2007

By I. Curry VINE VOICE

Format:Paperback

In what looks like being the final book of a trilogy, C J Sansom brings out long-suffering lawyer Matthew Shardlake for another mystery thriller set against the impeccably researched background of a vivid, tumultuous and colourful Tudor England.

Sansom has set this trio of books in the reign of Henry VIII, and in this book the lawyer gets closer than he would otherwise care to the dangerous monarch. His old promoter and task-master, Cromwell, has already fallen out of the King's favour, being despatched before being lamented. Shardlake is therefore surprised to find him being sought out to perform more missions in the royal service.

In this book he is working for Archbishop Cranmer, the reforming Archbishop of Canterbury and pivotal figure in the religious, social and political history of the turbulent reformation times. His mission is to head to York and meet up with the King's Progress. This mighty procession of monarchical majesty is designed to impress and cow the rebellious northerners, who have only just been settled after the Pilgrimage of Grace uprising.

Shardlake, always seeking an easy life, is assured his job will simply be to help a fellow lawyer with the pleas before the King. Naturally not all goes to plan, and the unwilling lawyer is thrust into a dangerous and gripping thriller which threatens to undermine the very essence of the Tudor dynasty, the very essence of Sovereignty.

I am not usually a big fan of historical fiction. It is often used as a vehicle by poor writers to give their bland prose a splash of factual colour, a "bodice ripping thriller", as Blackadder might say. But C J Sansom is very different. Read more ›

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22 of 22 people found the following review helpful

5.0 out of 5 stars Very entertaining, very well written 28 May 2007

By J. Holliday

Format:Paperback

Like most English people I guess, the figure of Henry VIII is one that intrigues me enormously.

A big man - in every respect of the word - he dominates the Middle Ages in terms of our understanding/knowledge of him and I have some sympathy with the historians who complain that the only people British schoolkids know about at the end of their history courses are Hitler and Henry.

For many of us, I guess, we see him as a 'lovable rogue', a man with huge passions and appetites and someone to be (guiltily?) admired. Well, you may admire him less after reading this excellent work.

Henry is not the main character in this book - in fact he utters only a handful of words in this 600 page tome - but (as I indicated above) in this book, like in history, he dominates the plot.

The excellently construted character Matthew Shardlake is sent to York where Henry is heading to act as a lawyer but also to carry out a 'minding' job on an anti-Henry prisoner.

During the course of his stay in York, Shardlake stumbles upon a mystery that could change history ('oh no not another Da Vinci you're thinking!!) which puts his life in danger and means he can trust no-one around him.

This is part historical fiction, part detective story, part thriller and part of a Shardlake trilogy (see what I did there?), the other two parts of which I now intend to read with gusto.

CJ Sansom writes with an elegant touch, never patronises the audience and teaches you things about the period in such a way that you don't realise you are being taught. He also leaves you guessing throughout - this is a genuine whodunnit where you end up suspecting everyone.

A book I would thoroughly recommned and which kept me wholly entertained - and (annoyingly! Read more ›

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122 of 126 people found the following review helpful

5.0 out of 5 stars An Exhilarating Progress Through Tudor Times 27 Mar 2007

By Eugene Onegin TOP 1000 REVIEWER VINE VOICE

Format:Paperback

If you are already familiar with the Shardlake series you will need no second invitation to acquire this volume, as it is every bit as good as the previous two. However, if you are new to the adventures of Sansom's humane Tudor lawyer then be assured you are in for a treat. Historical whodunits are ten a penny these days, but ones of this quality are much rarer. Sansom's great skill is to evoke the England of Henry VIII so convincingly that you not only see the scenes of that ancient time but also feel them. The smells, spectacles, landscapes, characters and language of the time come truly alive and hence are an integral part of the novel's appeal. Onto this rich canvas, a complex tale of intrigue, betrayal, political rivalry, and murder is expertly woven focussing on real historical events-in this case The Royal Progress of 1541 and attendant conspiracy alongside the troubled reign of Queen Katherine Howard. Every aspect of the plot is related to the issues of the day (the author holds a PhD in History) and the set piece encounters of his fictional characters with the the era's most powerful figures are full of tension and import, consequently one learns much even as the story grips you. Yet this erudition never stifles the plot which is full of incident and moves at a cracking pace: there is none of Umberto Eco's intellectual showboating or Ellis Peters' genteel scene setting here: this is the sixteenth century in all its vibrancy, stink, and duplicity. It is also worth observing that Sansom writes well, his prose is pleasing and flows effortlessly so that a 600 plus page tome seems shorter than many half its length. In short this is a fine piece of writing which just also happens to be a thriller and one that affords the reader that very special pleasure when returning home at the end of a hard day you rub your hands and think `I can continue with Sovereign tonight'. All avid readers will understand what I mean.

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Most Recent Customer Reviews

5.0 out of 5 stars A sovereign book to read

A very good book to read. Thoroughly enjoyed it. A good feel for the period in history. Looking forward to the next in series

Published 3 days ago by Pamelia

5.0 out of 5 stars Historical Faction

If you like a mixture of fact and fiction then Sansom has come up with another beauty set in the reign of King Henry the Eight. Full of twists and turns.

Published 10 days ago by Mathsline

5.0 out of 5 stars Sovereign

The only problem with a kindle is that any maps are almost unreadable. The book was great. Having read the first two in the series in book form I got the next 3 on my kindle. Read more

Published 17 days ago by Deb Mabbutt

5.0 out of 5 stars A good read

Sansom writes well based on good and logical plotting. He is rare in authors to be able to write using the three essential elements of any story. Read more

Published 19 days ago by Anthony Waring

3.0 out of 5 stars Bought second hand descibed as Very Good but actually dirty and poor

Title says it all. It seems descriptions of second hand books are now subject to artistic licence. Disappointing to say the least.

Published 20 days ago by RM

5.0 out of 5 stars excellent

I have read all 5 of Sansom's Shardlake books.
It's a fascinating insight into life at the time of Tudor England.

Published 21 days ago by maggie riche

5.0 out of 5 stars Riviting read

Thoroughly enjoyed this novel well written and the medieval scene was well created. A good story and well researched and very believable.

Published 1 month ago by Denis Lindley

5.0 out of 5 stars after this book you need to read all of them.

consistently good, informative and a great read. I just wish there was a clear indicator as to the sequence of the books to read.

Published 1 month ago by janel

5.0 out of 5 stars sovereign

A spine chilling book of life in Tudor England.Graphic details of torture, and the battle to stay alive.I was hooked from start
To finish. Read more

Published 1 month ago by margaret rose

5.0 out of 5 stars Excellent writer, excellent story.

These books are easy reading which is not to abuse them in any way.
If you like historical novels, you will enjoy this book. Read more

Published 1 month ago by C. Davies

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