“Bring Up the Bodies” by Hilary Mantel – The Royal Trial

Bring Up the Bodies by Hillary Mantel is the anticipated sequel to Wolf Hall, and if you haven’t read it yet I suggest you do. You can check it out in my Wolf Hall review. In any case, for those who have read it, this time around Henry has become disillusioned with the woman whose hand he so desperately fought for years earlier, mostly because she bore him no son.

Things get even worse when Anne Boleyn becomes the center of gossip as Katherine, who was exiled from the court, passes away. Thomas Cromwell stands ready to bring the Anne down as soon as Henry commands it, and so begins one of the most convoluted trials, that of the Queen herself. 

Unlike the previous book, this one doesn’t wander all over the place, something which can mostly be attributed to the setting already being created in the first book. There are also less characters and storylines to follow this time around, but rest assured the quality more than compensates for the lack of quantity. 

The trial itself, while at first looking like a closed deal, becomes marginally more complicated once Anne’s powerful family comes into the mix, putting up a fierce resistance against Cromwell’s tactics. Thomas’ only option, if he is to win the trial, is to ally himself with his enemies: Papal aristocrats.

Bring Up the Bodies by Hillary Mantel (Book cover)
If you liked Hillary’s previous novel and are fond of courtroom dramas, then you’ll probably be in heaven this time around. The things which dragged the previous novel down and made it good instead of excellent have mostly been dealt with this time around… it seems Mantel took the feedback she got from her readers close to heart and incorporated it this time around. 

The main storyline, the trial, is nothing short of mesmerizing, with there being surprising twists and turns at every corner; the book just makes you insatiably curious as to what card the protagonists will pull out of their sleeves next. In the end, everything is well tied together and nothing feels out of place. All in all, a good read for those who enjoyed the first book.



Hilary Mantel (Author)

Hilary Mantel


Personal site

Hilary Mantel is an English writer who tackled a number of different domains throughout her career, from personal memoirs to historical fiction pieces. She was the recipient of a Walter Scott Prize, a Costa Novel Prize, and two Man Booker Prizes, the second one of which was earned by her novel Bring Up the Bodies.



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