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The Path to Somerset (The Seymour Saga Book 2) Kindle Edition

by Janet Wertman (Author) Format: Kindle Edition
4.6 4.6 out of 5 stars 306 ratings
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First Place Winner, 2020 Chaucer Award for pre-1750s historical fiction
"The novel's sweeping historic detail and bewitching blend of rivalries and romances will dazzle devotees of Tudor England" - Publishers Weekly
After the tragic romance of Jane the Quene, this second book in the Seymour Saga takes a dark turn through an era in which King Henry VIII descends into cynicism, suspicion, and fits of madness – and in which mistakes mean death.

Edward Seymour’s future is uncertain. Although his sister Jane bore Henry the son he’d sought for twenty years, when she died in childbirth, Henry’s good nature died with her. Now the fiercely ambitious Edward must carve a difficult path through Henry’s shifting principles and wives. Challenged at every turn by his nemesis, Bishop Stephen Gardiner, Edward must embrace ruthlessness in order to safeguard not only his own future but England’s as well.

This is the account of Henry’s tumultuous reign as experienced by enemies whose fierce disputes over religion and common decency fuel epic struggles for the soul of the nation. And for power.
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Previous page
  1. Book 2 of 3
    The Seymour Saga
  2. Print length
    356 pages
  3. Language
    English
  4. Sticky notes
    On Kindle Scribe
  5. Publication date
    August 24, 2018
  6. File size
    2230 KB
  7. Page Flip
    Enabled
  8. Word Wise
    Enabled
  9. Enhanced typesetting
    Enabled
  10. See all details
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From the Publisher

Review from the Freelance History Writer

Review from the Historical Novel Society

Review from Adventures of a Tudor Nerd

Editorial Reviews

Review

First Place Winner, 2020 Chaucer Award for pre-1750s historical fiction
"The novel's sweeping historic detail and bewitching blend of rivalries and romances will dazzle devotees of Tudor England." - Publishers Weekly

"Author Wertman masterfully weaves the political intrigue of the Tudor court...The narrative is engaging, and characters come to life on the page...Highly recommended." - Historical Novel Society

"[T]he books are very, very good. Janet Wertman has done a huge amount of research and writes in a very smooth, confident style." - Steve Donoghue, Managing Editor of Open Letters Review and the U.S./Worldwide Editor of the Historical Novel Review.

"The way this story is told truly makes history come to life" and "I highly recommend ordering this book!" - Tudors Dynasty
"Machinations behind the scenes are shown here with some exceptional dialogue. Wertman brings these people to life." - The Freelance History Writer Notes and Reviews

"If you are after a tense, grisly and highly realistic depiction of the manoeuvrings heralding the power void after the death of Henry VIII, then this book is a must read. It certainly kept me turning the pages and I highly recommend it." - The Review
"Excellent story and very well written. Definitely sure to be a favorite among historical fiction fans." - Readers Favorite
"Janet Wertman does a fantastic job navigating this complex political landscape to show Edward Seymour in a new light. This may be my first time reading a book by Janet Wertman, but this will not be my last." - Adventures of a Tudor Nerd

About the Author

By day, Janet Wertman is a freelance grantwriter for impactful nonprofits. By night, she writes critically acclaimed, character-driven historical fiction - indulging a passion for the Tudor era she had harbored since she was eight years old and her parents let her stay up late to watch The Six Wives of Henry VIII and Elizabeth R. Janet also runs a blog (www.janetwertman.com) where she posts interesting takes on the Tudors and what it's like to write about them.

Product details

  • ASIN ‏ : ‎ B07DB2X813
  • Publisher ‏ : ‎ ; 1st edition (August 24, 2018)
  • Publication date ‏ : ‎ August 24, 2018
  • Language ‏ : ‎ English
  • File size ‏ : ‎ 2230 KB
  • Text-to-Speech ‏ : ‎ Enabled
  • Screen Reader ‏ : ‎ Supported
  • Enhanced typesetting ‏ : ‎ Enabled
  • X-Ray ‏ : ‎ Not Enabled
  • Word Wise ‏ : ‎ Enabled
  • Sticky notes ‏ : ‎ On Kindle Scribe
  • Print length ‏ : ‎ 356 pages
  • Page numbers source ISBN ‏ : ‎ 1735491136
  • Customer Reviews:
    4.6 4.6 out of 5 stars 306 ratings

About the author

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Janet Wertman

Janet Wertman

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Janet Ambrosi Wertman grew up within walking distance of three bookstores and a library on Manhattan's Upper West Side - and she visited all of them regularly. Her grandfather was an antiquarian bookdealer who taught her that there would always be a market for quirky, interesting books. He was the one who persuaded Janet's parents to send her to the French school where she was taught to aspire to long (grammatically correct) sentences as the hallmark of a skillful writer. She lived that lesson until she got to Barnard College. Short sentences were the rule there. She complied. She reached a happy medium when she got to law school - complicated sentences alternating with short ones in a happy mix.

Janet spent fifteen years as a corporate lawyer in New York, she even got to do a little writing on the side (she co-authored The Executive Compensation Answer Book, which was published by Panel Publishers back in 1991). But when her first and second children were born, she decided to change her lifestyle. She and her husband transformed their lives in 1997, moving to Los Angeles and changing careers. Janet became a grantwriter (and will tell anyone who will listen that the grants she's written have resulted in more than $20 million for the amazing non-profits she is proud to represent) and took up writing fiction.

There was never any question about the topic of the fiction: Janet has harbored a passion for the Tudor Kings and Queens since her parents let her stay up late to watch the televised Masterpiece Theatre series (both The Six Wives of Henry VIII and Elizabeth R) when she was *cough* eight years old. One of the highlights of Janet's youth was being allowed to visit the Pierpont Morgan Library on a day when it was closed to the public and examine (though not touch!) books from Queen Elizabeth's personal library and actual letters that the young Princess Elizabeth (technically Lady Elizabeth...) had written.

Janet is deep into writing the first book of her next trilogy, which takes up where the Seymours left off to illustrate the life of Elizabeth I. Janet also runs a blog (www.janetwertman.com) where she posts interesting takes on the Tudors, and she’s part of a group of novelists from Southern California who offer interesting panels and discussions to libraries around the state.

Customer reviews

4.6 out of 5 stars
4.6 out of 5
306 global ratings

Top reviews from the United States

Gail Thomas
5.0 out of 5 stars Even better than Book 1 of the Seymour Saga
Reviewed in the United States on July 14, 2020
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Just echoing all the other positive reviews, the author writes so well and her characters and the events she depicts are well detailed and interesting. As a confirmed Anne Boleyn fan, I never had a particular desire to read about the Seymours, but Janet has changed my mind with these novels. Jane the Quene was excellent, and this book was even better, developing the characters of Edward and Anne Seymour in a very plausible and insightful way. I can't wait for Book 3.
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Mercedes Rochelle
4.0 out of 5 stars Edward Seymour, a master of manipulation
Reviewed in the United States on September 28, 2019
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Author Janet Wertman has given us a different view of Edward Seymour than I had in my head—and with good reason. This book covers the younger Edward while he was still developing into the hardened self-serving Lord Protector we come to distrust in his later years. At first, Edward seems blameless in the midst of the terrible infighting that permeated Henry VIII’s court. Apparently everybody was motivated by the best way to take down his enemy: Bishop Gardiner against Archbishop Cranmer, Gardiner against Queen Katherine Parr, the Duke of Norfolk against Cromwell—and just about everybody else. But in an effort to stay afloat, Edward Seymour chooses sides—naturally with protestant-leaning courtiers. As King Henry grows more tempestuous, unpredictable and finally downright vicious, Edward sees that catering to the ailing king’s every whim is the only way he can stay out of trouble. And soon, it becomes second nature to him. He matches the king’s expressions; he flatters Henry, never disagrees with him, and when trouble threatens he brings up his dead sister Jane to remind the king of happier days. Before long his survival instinct morphs into self-interest and by the end of Henry’s life, he has mastered the art of manipulation for gain.

I wonder if King Henry was as easily manipulated as the book suggests; perhaps by this time he was in so much pain his reason had deserted him. As depicted, everyone balanced on a knife’s edge; one wrong word and off with their head! I don’t know; it seemed almost a caricature of Henry’s court, but since we weren’t there we can only speculate. I admit that I was taken aback when during one scene King Henry was lowered onto his horse with a winch. Ouch! That never happened except in Laurence Olivier’s HENRY V (Yes, I looked it up to be sure: you can do a search on the Met Museum website for “Arms and Armor—Common Misconceptions”). Aside from that, I found the book quite readable and I enjoyed it.
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rowenateena&ben
5.0 out of 5 stars Crazy Henry, Ambitious Edward and the good side of Cromwell
Reviewed in the United States on October 11, 2021
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The second volume in Janet Wertman's astute and magnificent Tudor trilogy, spans the period between the birth of Prince Edward to Henry VIII by Quene Jane, Edward Seymour's neglected sister, and Henry's reinstatement to grace of his daughter Mary. Janet Wertman is a master of the use of dialog to move this intensely complicated plot along; she evokes the period, the place, the characters with their motivations, and the action in a way that makes for delightful reading.
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Anne Doyle Hauer
5.0 out of 5 stars Great book
Reviewed in the United States on November 9, 2023
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This was the first time I heard Seymour’s story I didn’t know he was a friend of Cromwell
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Bobbie L.
5.0 out of 5 stars nicely done and a good read.
Reviewed in the United States on June 21, 2022
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Written very well and easy to understand the way peoples names change. Good history lesson and would recommend for those interested in shorter versions of history.
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Cynthia H. Grossman
4.0 out of 5 stars Historical Fiction
Reviewed in the United States on January 19, 2020
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Edward Seymour succeeds in spite of himself. Mr. Wertman indicates Edward is not very confident in his standing at court in spite of his being brother to the late Queen Jane.
King Henry VIII calls Edward his brother and relies upon Edward for advice.
I like reading historical fiction by different authors since they write a different point of view.
The one person I have not heard much about is Bishop Gardiner, who hates Edward.
I look forward to reading the third book in The Seymour Saga.
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H.A.
5.0 out of 5 stars A totally different view of Edward Seymour
Reviewed in the United States on March 10, 2019
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I felt that this book gave the reader a totally different impression of Edward Seymour than any other author I have read in books written about this period in English History. In other books I got the impression that Thomas Seymour, his brother, always was portrayed as the "good Seymour" and Edward was portrayed as the "very ambitious, cut throat" Seymour. This book, I felt, painted a picture of Edward being totally loyal to England, the English Throne, Henry VIII and making sure that Henry's son would become as great a king as his father, which unfortunately did not happen because of his death at a very early age. I really enjoyed this book and am looking forward to this author's third book about Henry VIII son's reign!
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MCB
5.0 out of 5 stars This book is even better than the first.
Reviewed in the United States on September 18, 2018
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I waited a long time for this second book in the Somerset saga, and it did not disappoint. I especially appreciated how the characters continued to develop. The author reveals each person, warts and all, as they move through some of the most important events of the time. She makes everything feel so real - as if you know the characters and understand this tumultuous time in English history. It all felt so familiar. I hope there are more books to come. The story is certainly not over.
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Top reviews from other countries

Brian Viner
5.0 out of 5 stars From obscurity to Duke of Somerset
Reviewed in the United Kingdom on June 10, 2021
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Highly readable and giving a much better understanding of Henry VIII and his Courtiers.
Thoroughly recommended, and now I have to read the other two books.
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Valerie Whitesell
5.0 out of 5 stars Janet brought Edward Seymour to life.
Reviewed in Canada on May 16, 2020
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Great reference of Edward Seymour and Henry VIII
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Neil Logan
5.0 out of 5 stars Lovers of Historical Fiction.
Reviewed in Australia on September 10, 2018
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This is vol two of a Tudor trilogy,Fiction based on fact,it grips you from the first page,dealing with the irascible Henry the Eight,you can feel the roiling fear of the courtiers as his moods worsen as time goes on and people die .The manipulation of him by the different factions keep the story rolling along at a great pace ,I am looking forward to book three very much.
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kittyA
5.0 out of 5 stars A good read
Reviewed in the United Kingdom on June 29, 2020
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Just finished the 1st and 2nd of the trilogy and looking forward to the 3rd. Have read a varied selection of books on the tudors, consider this a good read.
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