My take
There were two major parts to this book. The first 600 pages. Then the last 150. The first continued the worst of the first two. Understated, if not outright boring. But man, just like the titanic once the ship started sinking, this boon really picked up once Mantel let herself actually follow a plot. I truly loved the ending and was moved by it. His final ascension to Earl and then his fall and execution were incredible. I’d recommend it only to people that read a ton of books per year. It’s worth a month or so, but nothing more.