History Literature / TheOtherBoleynGirl

* HiddenDepths: Jane Seymour is her family's pawn to try and usurp Anne position as queen, but she does seem to legitimately care for Catherine of Aragon; when the news comes that Catherine has died, Jane defies Anne's whim to go and pray for her, and she's the only member of the court to mourn the former queen (even Mary, who loved Catherine, doesn't dare go against her family) despite the fact that at this point, there's nothing she could gain from this show of piety.

* HiddenDepths: Jane Seymour is her family's pawn to try and usurp Anne, but she does seem to legitimately care for Catherine of Aragon; when the news comes that Catherine has died, Jane defies Anne's whim to go and pray for her, and she's the only member of the court to mourn the former queen (even Mary, who loved Catherine, doesn't dare go against her family).

* LawOfInverseFertility: Mary has two healthy children who were fathered by Henry and later has another daughter with her second husband, with relatively straightforward and easy pregnancies throughout, but because of her elder daughter and son's illegitimacy they can't inherit the throne. Meanwhile, both Catherine of Aragon and Anne suffer multiple miscarriages and stillbirths, and each only have one surviving legitimate daughter.

* Catch22: Anne needs to cement her position and ensure Henry's continuing affections by having a son, but as time goes on Henry grows less and less inclined to sleep with her and sometimes there are periods where he outright refuses to do so (such as everyone thinking she's already pregnant or it being the season of Lent) making it ever more difficult for her to get pregnant.

* MortonsFork: When Henry starts looking for a new mistress after he and Anne have been married for a while, Anne is understandably furious and throws tantrums. George and Mary advise her that the king's growing tired of her violent temper and might well come to resent her and she needs to tone it down, pointing to Catherine's approach of tolerating her husband's affairs and looking the other way. Anne reminds them that this approach didn't work out for Catherine, if she does the same thing Henry will grow tired of her regardless and either way she'll be losing his affections to other women.
* OriginalPositionFallacy: Anne seems to have assumed that she would be able to maintain her role as the triumphant queen once she replaced Catherine of Aragon in Henry's affections. In truth, as soon as she ascends the throne, every noble family in England makes note that it can be done and starts trying it themselves. Since Anne’s tactics to keep the king’s attention involved [[ForbiddenFruit being flirtatious while limiting actual physical contact to the minimum]], she finds it difficult to maintain his interest [[WantingIsBetterThanHaving once he has her]] and various ladies proceed to copy her approach of playing hard to get -- especially as Anne ''also'' made the age-old error of believing the man who'd cheated on his first wife for years with multiple women would remain faithful to her, and is furious when Henry starts getting up to his old tricks with the ladies of her chamber.

* MortonsFork: When Henry starts looking for a new mistress after he and Anne have been married for a while, Anne is understandably furious and throws tantrums. George and Mary advise her that the king's growing tired of her violent temper and might well come to resent her and she needs to tone it down, pointing to Catherine's approach of tolerating her husband's affairs and looking the other way. Anne reminds them that this approach didn't work out for Catherine, and if she does the same thing Henry will grow tired of her anyway.

* OriginalPositionFallacy: Anne seems to have assumed that she would be able to maintain her role as the triumphant queen once she replaced Catherine of Aragon in Henry's affections. In truth, as soon as she ascends the throne, every noble family in England makes note that it can be done and to try it themselves. Since Anne’s tactics to keep the king’s attention involved [[ForbiddenFruit being flirtatious while limiting actual physical contact to the minimum]], she finds it difficult to maintain his interest [[WantingIsBetterThanHaving once he has her]] and other women proceed to copy her approach of playing hard to get -- especially as Anne ''also'' made the age-old error of believing the man who'd cheated on his first wife for years with multiple women would remain faithful to her, and is furious when Henry starts getting up to his old tricks with the ladies of her chamber.

* MatureWorkChildProtagonists: Mary Boleyn, the main protagonist and narrator, is fourteen years old at the beginning of the novel (she's thirteen during the prologue) and it's made clear [[RRatedOpening right from the first page]] that it's not a kids' book when Mary witnesses the beheading of her uncle Stafford. Mary is [[DeliberateValuesDissonance already married at age twelve (and the marriage was physically consummated at once rather than waiting for her to grow older)]], becomes the king's mistress on [[QuestionableConsent her family's orders]] and later [[TeenPregnancy has children]] by him. The book features graphic sexual references and some disturbing scenes such as executions, Anne Boleyn's multiple miscarriages and stillbirths, possible incest, Mary's husband [[MaritalRapeLicense commanding her to sleep with him]] (he [[NearRapeExperience stops]] when he sees her discomfort, but still) and Mary suffering from post-partum depression.
* OriginalPositionFallacy: Anne seems to have assumed that she would be able to maintain her role as the triumphant queen once she replaced Catherine of Aragon in Henry's affections. In truth, as soon as she ascends the throne, every noble family in England makes note that it can be done -- and since Anne’s tactics to keep the king’s attention involved [[ForbiddenFruit being flirtatious while limiting actual physical contact to the minimum]], she finds it difficult to maintain his interest [[WantingIsBetterThanHaving once he has her]] and other women proceed to copy her approach of playing hard to get, since Anne ''also'' made the age-old error of assuming the man who'd cheated on his wife with multiple women would remain faithful to her.

* OriginalPositionFallacy: Anne seems to have assumed that she would be able to maintain her role as the triumphant queen once she replaced Catherine of Aragon in Henry's affections. In truth, as soon as she ascends the throne, every noble family in England makes note that it can be done -- and since Anne’s tactics to keep the king’s attention involved [[ForbiddenFruit being flirtatious while limiting actual physical contact to the minimum]], she finds it difficult to maintain his interest [[WantingIsBetterThanHaving once he has her]] and other women proceed to copy her approach of playing hard to get, since Anne ''also'' committed the age-old error of assuming the man who cheated on his wife with multiple women would remain faithful to her.

* OriginalPositionFallacy: Anne seems to have assumed that she would be able to maintain her role as the triumphant queen once she replaced Catherine of Aragon in Henry's affections. In truth, as soon as she ascends the throne, every noble family in England makes note that it can be done -- and since Anne’s tactics to keep the king’s attention involved [[ForbiddenFruit being flirtatious while limiting actual physical contact to the minimum]], she finds it difficult to maintain his interest [[WantingIsBetterThanHaving once he has her]] and other women proceed to copy her approach of playing hard to get, since Anne ''also'' committed the age-old error of assuming the man who cheated on his wife several times would remain faithful to her.

* OriginalPositionFallacy: Anne seems to have assumed that she would be able to maintain her role as the triumphant queen once she replaced Catherine of Aragon in Henry's affections. In truth, as soon as she ascends the throne, every noble family in England makes note that it can be done -- and since Anne’s tactics to keep the king’s attention involved [[ForbiddenFruit being flirtatious while limiting actual physical contact to the minimum]], she finds it difficult to maintain his interest [[WantingIsBetterThanHaving once he has her]] and other women proceed to copy her approach of playing hard to get.

* EnglishRose: The novel is even more overt than the film in its portrayal of Mary as idealistic. Anne describes Mary (albeit mockingly) as "sweet and open and English and fair" at one stage, and Henry VIII himself refers to her as "my little English rose".
** Deconstructed. Although Mary genuinely is more naive and sweet than most other characters (which isn't saying much) she admits to Anne that the English Rose persona is very much a facade she uses to entice the king.

* HistoricalVillainUpgrade: Anne. Although the real Anne Boleyn was no doubt ambitious, she also did a lot of good in her life, such as supporting many charities, sheltering Protestants fleeing from other countries, promoting artistic endeavours, and showing an unusually keen interest in her daughter's upbringing. Furthermore, most historians now agree that she was almost certainly innocent of the crimes she was accused of, including incest with her brother.
** Anne also gets a Historical Coward Upgrade. The real Anne faced her execution with boldness, dignity, and faith; Gregory's Anne is a sniveling, hysterical basket case.
** The author almost seems to have a personal grudge against Jane Parker. The sequel, ''Literature/TheBoleynInheritance'' takes this up to eleven.

* LawOfInverseFertility: Mary has two healthy children that were fathered by Henry (and later has another daughter with her second husband) but because of their illegitimacy they can't inherit the throne. Meanwhile, both Catherine of Aragon and Anne suffer multiple miscarriages and stillbirths, and each only have one surviving legitimate daughter.

* AwfulWeddedLife: Both Catherine and Anne's marriages to Henry eventually devolve into this, as he grows tired of each of them in turn and seeks to be rid of them. Mary privately fancies that this is what's in store for Jane Seymour: "I had seen two queens married to Henry and neither of them had much joy of it."

* BittersweetEnding: Anne and George are dead and the Boleyn family is utterly disgraced, but Mary gets to live HappilyEverAfter with her husband and children, far away from the court (which is where she was always happier during the course of the story).

* LonelyAtTheTop: As Anne is unable to secure her position with a son, she grows ever more isolated and lonely at court. Rubbing salt into the wound is knowing that Mary is happily married while living in relative poverty, while Anne is queen of one of the greatestest courts in Europe but frightened, alone and unhappy.

* MatureWorkChildProtagonists: Mary Boleyn, the main protagonist and narrator, is fourteen years old at the beginning of the novel (she's thirteen during the prologue) and it's made clear [[RRatedOpening right from the first page]] that it's not a kids' book when Mary witnesses the beheading of her uncle Stafford. Mary is [[DeliberateValuesDissonance already married at age twelve]], becomes the king's mistress on [[QuestionableConsent her family's orders]] and later [[TeenPregnancy has children]] by him. The book features graphic sexual references and some disturbing scenes such as executions, Anne Boleyn's multiple miscarriages and stillbirths, possible incest, Mary's husband [[MaritalRapeLicense commanding her to sleep with him]] (he [[NearRapeExperience stops]] when he sees her discomfort, but still) and Mary suffering from post-partum depression.

* PsychopathicManchild: The king is often said to behave like a child. He also kills a lot of people, including his wife when she fails to give him a son.

* TheGloriousWarOfSisterlyRivalry: Anne vs. Mary for the right to Henry's hand.

* {{Understatement}}: Mary describes Anne's reaction of her getting married to William is "not best pleased".

* BeCarefulWhatYouWishFor: Anne pretty much personifies this as the story goes on. Yes, she becomes queen, but she doesn't enjoy it for long. From the moment she gives birth to Elizabeth rather than the son everyone was expecting, she's under enormous pressure from all sides to produce a male heir, and she suffers several miscarriages. The common people despise her; other noble families constantly seek to supplant her with their own daughters, now that they've seen how relatively easy it is to unseat a queen; and once she and Henry have license to be physically intimate on a regular basis, he gradually loses interest in her and eventually grows to resent and then hate her. But, as Mary bluntly tells her: "You chose to be queen. I warned you it wouldn't bring you joy."

* AndThereWasMuchRejoicing: The reaction to Queen Katherine's death from the king and almost the whole court. Mary is disgusted by the masque that Henry and Anne throw in celebration, but Uncle Howard forces her to stay in order to show family unity.
* AwfulWeddedLife: Both Katherine and Anne's marriages to Henry eventually devolve into this, as he grows tired of each of them in turn and seeks to be rid of them. Mary privately fancies that this is what's in store for Jane Seymour: "I had seen two queens married to Henry and neither of them had much joy of it."

* BettyAndVeronica: Mary is Betty, Anne is Veronica. Anne is also the Veronica to Katherine of Aragon and Jane Seymour's Betty.

** Anne curses Jane Seymour when it's evident that Jane is angling to replace her and become queen in her turn, saying she hopes Jane dies giving birth and the child dies too. Mary wonders at the end of the book whether the curse will come true, while readers are already aware that Jane will die from giving birth to Edward, who'll also die young.
* TheDeterminator: Deconstructed and Reconstructed. Anne Boleyn and Henry VIII. Mary tells Catherine that Anne and Henry may be getting along so well because they are both this trope and a lot alike. When Catherine points out that she is determined as well, Mary tells her that she is differentiated from them by being a lot less selfish and willing to put others before the goals she is determined to achieve.

* HistoryRepeats: Anne effectively usurps Katherine's role in court as queen even in the years before Henry divorces his first wife, and takes spiteful delight in telling Mary to inform Katherine that she's being left behind while the court goes on progress. Years later Anne has to endure being left behind by the court as she recovers from her final miscarriage (Mary even recalls what happened with Katherine as she sees Anne forlornly watching them leave) and to helplessly witness her husband and ladies abandon her for a woman who clearly wishes to take her place.

** Anne curses Jane Seymour when it's evident that Jane is eclipsing her in Henry's regard, saying she hopes Jane dies giving birth and the child dies too. Mary wonders at the end of the book whether the curse will come true, while readers are already aware that Jane will die from giving birth to Edward, who'll also die young.

** Anne curses Jane Seymour when she learns that the Seymours are plotting to follow her own example and put Jane in her place as queen, saying she hopes Jane dies giving birth and the child dies too. Mary wonders at the end of the book whether the curse will come true, while readers are already aware that Jane will die from giving birth to Edward, who'll also die young.

* HoistByTheirOwnPetard: Anne schemes to become queen, and eventually ousts Catherine and takes her place. All the noble families take note of how relatively easy it is to topple a queen - and begin scheming to get their own daughters to supplant Anne in Henry's affections. Anne's now in the exact same position that Catherine was before her, trying desperately to keep Henry's interest and give birth to a son while her rivals follow her example and tempt Henry [[ForbiddenFruit by keeping him at arms' length and refusing to sleep with him.]]

* HoistByTheirOwnPetard: Anne schemes to become queen, and eventually ousts Catherine and takes her place. All the noble families take note of how relatively easy it is to topple a queen - and begin scheming to get their own daughters to supplant Anne in Henry's affections. Anne's now in the exact same position that Catherine was before her, trying desperately to keep Henry's interest and give birth to a son while her rivals tempt Henry by playing hard-to-get.

* OriginalPositionFallacy: Anne seems to have assumed that she would be able to maintain her role as the triumphant queen once she replaced Catherine of Aragon in Henry's affections. In truth, as soon as she ascends the throne, every noble family in England makes note that it can be done -- and since Anne’s tactics to keep the king’s attention involved [[ForbiddenFruit being flirtatious while limiting actual physical contact to the minimum]], she finds it difficult to maintain his interest [[WantingIsBetterThanHaving once he has her]].

* HoistByTheirOwnPetard: Anne schemes to become queen, and eventually ousts Catherine and takes her place. All the noble families take note of how relatively easy it is to topple a queen - and begin scheming to get their own daughters to supplant Anne in Henry's affections.

* BeCarefulWhatYouWishFor: Anne pretty much personifies this as the story goes on. Yes, she becomes queen, but she doesn't enjoy it for long. The common people despise her; she's under enormous pressure from all sides to produce a male heir, which she continuously fails to do; other noble families constantly seek to supplant her with their own daughters, now that they've seen how relatively easy it is to unseat a queen; and once she and Henry have license to be physically intimate on a regular basis, he gradually loses interest in her and eventually grows to resent and then hate her. But, as Mary bluntly tells her: "You chose to be queen. I warned you it wouldn't bring you joy."

* BittersweetEnding: Anne and George are dead and the Boleyn family is utterly disgraced, but Mary gets to live HappilyEverAfter with her husband, far away from the court (which is where she was always happier during the course of the story).

* DecadentCourt: The Tudor court has spies everywhere and is full of people scheming constantly to get the king's favour who will stab you in the back at a moment's notice. Your closest relatives think of you only as a pawn in a chess game, especially if you are a girl.

** Anne curses Jane Seymour when she learns that the Seymours are plotting to follow her own example and put Jane in her place as queen, saying she hopes Jane dies giving birth and the child dies too. Mary speculates at the end of the book whether the curse will come true, while readers are already aware that Jane will die from giving birth to Edward, who'll also die young.