Bring Up the Bodies

“Look, he says: once you have exhausted the process of negotiation and compromise, once you have fixed on the destruction of an enemy, that destruction must be swift and it must be perfect. Before you even glance in his direction, you should have his name on a warrant, the ports blocked, his wife and friends bought, his heir under your protection, his money in your strong room and his dog running to your whistle. Before he wakes in the morning, you should have the axe in your hand.”If [b:Wolf Hall 6520929 Wolf Hall (Thomas Cromwell, #1) Hilary Mantel https://images.gr-assets.com/books/1436162980s/6520929.jpg 6278354] was about Cromwell and his rise in the court of Henry VIII then [b:Bring Up the Bodies 13507212 Bring Up the Bodies (Thomas Cromwell, #2) Hilary Mantel https://images.gr-assets.com/books/1330649655s/13507212.jpg 14512257] is a step by step on how to bring down a political enemy within the construct of the law, created or existent during the 16th century:“When Gregory says, ‘Are they guilty?' he means ‘Did they do it?' But when he says, ‘Are they guilty?' he means, ‘Did the court find them so?' The lawyer's world is entire unto itself, the human pared away.”Anne Boleyn must fall and Cromwell will see to it for his prince. And though we as modern readers may be horrified at sweeping away of people/women who have become inconvenient to the throne I can't help but admire the creation that is Cromwell from [a:Hilary Mantel 58851 Hilary Mantel https://images.gr-assets.com/authors/1334862633p2/58851.jpg]'s pen. Every slight, conversation and look is recorded in the trap of his brain for some future use and yet we also see the man who loves deeply and steadfastly. One could go on about how women are used, abused and put in boxes but then that is not a theme exclusive to the book, we can see it in our every day lives and quite frankly Anne would have done for her enemies as was done to her which is what makes her a worthy opponent to Master Cromwell. No simpering Miss. Even though we know the end result this reads almost like a nail bitting thriller: who will slip up? will they survive? Thrilling. *You should read [b:Wolf Hall 6520929 Wolf Hall (Thomas Cromwell, #1) Hilary Mantel https://images.gr-assets.com/books/1436162980s/6520929.jpg 6278354] first. They are companion pieces.